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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216137">Wishing Well</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kygirl2010/pseuds/Kygirl2010'>Kygirl2010</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boy-Who-Lived Draco Malfoy, Enemies to Friends, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Malfoy Family (Harry Potter), Hogwarts Third Year, M/M, Powerful Draco Malfoy, Romance, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:34:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,346</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kygirl2010/pseuds/Kygirl2010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After surviving Voldemort's killing curse, Draco Malfoy becomes the-boy-who-lived, only no one knows about it, because the Malfoy's are much better at managing a crisis than Dumbledore. In his 3rd year, Draco transfers to Hogwarts from Beauxbatons, and meets one raven-haired boy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>516</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Introduction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I do not own any of this, it's all J.K. Rowling's, I just borrowed it. Mixed it up a lil. You know the drill.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry Potter and Ron Weasley ran through the halls trying to contain their laughter, stumbling over their own feet. They came to a halt with the distant sound of explosions, grinning madly at each other, before hearing the angry screams of one Argus Filch, witch just made them double over laughing, while still trying to be silent. <em>This year is going to be great</em>, Harry thought. Or so he would have thought, if it weren’t for the powerful voice of professor McGonagall, coming from behind him, making Ron and himself freeze on the spot. He really shouldn’t get a detention right on his first day, his dad was going to absolute kill him!</p><p>“Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley! What is the meaning of this?!” Harry turned around slowly, already grimacing, imagining McGonagall’s angry face. What he wasn’t expecting, though, was a pair of curious silver eyes, locking on his.</p><p>On top of the stairs that Ron and him carelessly stopped in front of, there was - besides his Head of House and Headmaster - a man and a woman with silver-white hair, perfect postures and joined arms. But his focus was on the boy in front of the couple. He was about Harry's age, with hair and posture matching of the adults behind him. He looked interested, but also guarded, the corner of his mouth bending in a small smile and eyes glimmering. Harry was curious about them, but he was quickly brought back from his musings by McGonagall’s reprehension and point deductions – at least it wasn’t detention – followed by Dumbledore excusing them back to the great hall, where the rest of the students were still finishing the feast. With flaming cheeks, Harry watched the boy being gently pushed forward by the woman, as the group continued their walk through the corridors. In the Great Hall, he sat with Ron in the Gryffindor table, in front of a angry faced Hermione – this time it was Ron’s turn to blush – and was quickly engaged by Seamus’s congratulations on the prank, Fred and George also joining the conversation. Distracted, Harry forgot all about the strange boy, only thinking about it before falling asleep, when he remembered those silver eyes.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>                                                                                                                               BEFORE</p><p>Bellatrix tried not to flinch with every screamed order and banged door. It was easier to do that than to control her shaky hands - those had been a real problem for some time now, and the increasing anger from her Dark Lord wasn’t helping.</p><p>She kept her back straight and expression bored as Death Eaters would come in and out from the ballroom of the Malfoy Manor, casual <em>crucios</em> were cast and progress reports were delivered, about <em>whose baby was just murdered here and there</em>, just like that. She could feel Rodolphus glancing her way every time one of those declarations were made and she wanted to <em>yell at him </em>to just control himself, just as much as she wanted to recoil and cross her arms over her abdomen, over her poorly healed <em>sectusempra </em>scars.</p><p>“Peter!”, the Dark Lord’s voice cut through all the noise in the room, silencing it. Bellatrix raised her head just in time to see a short man make his way to his master’s feet.</p><p>“My Lord, I’ve got it my Lord” he screeched. Across the room, she saw Severus Snape expression tremble; she knew what Peter Pettigrew being here meant for him, but she couldn’t make herself care - not after he brought that sodding prophecy here, not after she lost her baby and her womb because of it.</p><p>“Very good, Peter. I must say, I had my doubts. But tonight, you have proven me wrong, and I am glad” the Dark Lord broke into a grin, and the man at his feet blushed and giggled in delight, like a little girl. <em>Disgusting, </em>she thought. “But now Peter” he continued somberly “you must finish what you started. Bring me the Potter boy. Dead or alive, I do not care”</p><p>“B-but, my Lord, I-I’m not sure if... If...” Pettigrew spluttered, his face now white in horror.</p><p>“Not sure of what Peter?” he answered cuttingly “You already betrayed your precious friends, now, simply finish. the. job. Pyrites here will help you, won’t you, Pyrites?” he signaled carelessly to a masked Death Eater that promptly bowed and proceeded to hastily pick up Pettigrew from the ground, where the man was still trembling in shock.</p><p>As the men exited the ballroom, another cloaked figure started to make his way out, steps echoing in the still silent room, before The Dark Lord spoke:</p><p>“Severus”. The man stopped. “If you walk out now, there will be consequences”. Snape turned around, a very poorly placed mask of indifference already slipping of his face. “My Lord, please, I only ask for her. You have my loyalty, be sure of it, but I must beg of you, spare her” his voice cracking at the end. For a moment, there was only silence from The Dark Lord, and then, almost imperceptible, a nod. It was enough for Snape to let out a shaky breath and bow deeply, before leaving the room with wide steps.</p><p>She knew that the Potter boy wasn’t the only one left, but he was the most important one, at least for her Lord. He was looking for the child for quite a while, once the Potter's became untraceable. Before that, any child in that July time-frame was good enough, even the ones that didn’t quite fit it, like her own, that she had just barely figured out about. Her face twitched, and she pushed her anger down. She was doing that a lot lately. Her hands still trembled.</p><p>She calmed herself thinking of her nephew. Just a week ago Narcissa and Lucius came to her, after listening to the prophecy, begging for secrecy. Draco had been premature, for over a month. They didn’t know if that made him fit the criteria of “end of July”, since his actual birth was June 5th, but they didn’t want to find out. The whole family kept their mouths shut about it, and she didn’t regret it one bit.</p><p>She jumped out of her thoughts with the feather light touch of Rodolphus’s hand on her own, and went to scowl at him for showing weakness, before accidentally meeting the stare of her Dark Lord, who was bubbling with anger while looking at her. She also noticed she was feeling a slight headache, that vanished when he broke the eye contact. Oh no. <em>Legilimency - Draco!</em></p><p>With a wordless wand flick she was thrown to the wall behind her. She wanted to faint with the pain she felt, but as The Dark Lord turned away with a intimidatingly angry aura of magic, she managed to yell simple word of warning, before all hell broke loose – “Cissa!”.</p><p>Her sisters eyes widened, and with her next muttered words, all the doors and windows closed with a bang. Death Eaters measured each other out, trying to understand the commotion, as the Malfoys and Blacks silently prepared to fight in fewer numbers - but they were powerful and this home was theirs, and so, their heads stood high.</p><p>The Dark Lord’s face contorted with anger, turning his handsome facial features into something animalistic. With a wandless hand motion, he defended himself from the fist blow – a killing curse from Abraxas, the elder Malfoy, and started muttering a incantation, probably trying to break the anti-apparition wards.</p><p>As all the other Death Eaters started to blast hexes, Bellatrix tried to stand, but the pain in her head pulled her right back down. However, her father came to crouch next to her, muttering a string of spells as Rodolphus stood before them, using shield charms and blasting hexes. “How is she, Cygnus?” her husband asked, strained, and as she felt the last of the pounding in her head vanish, her father answer “Just dandy”. And they joined the fight.</p><p>Although they were in numeric disadvantage, the Dark Lord's followers were perishing quickly - but not quickly enough.</p><p>“NO!” Abraxas cried as the crack of apparition sounded trough the room. Nacissa’s own followed, and Lucius just after. With doubled effort, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Cygnus and Abraxas finished the remaining Death Eaters, before apparating themselves to Draco’s room.</p><p>They were late, Bellatrix realized, as she saw Alicia Malfoy – Lucius’s mother – dead on the floor, eyes wide open. Lucius and Narcissa were desperately picking themselves up, after probably being thrown to the walls, strangled sobs leaving the latter, as the Avada Kedavra curse was leaving the Dark Lord’s wand. She took one last look to the blond boy crying on the marble floor before green engulfed him.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Tears ran down Severus Snape’s face as he made his way to Hogwarts. He had been too late.</p><p>The delay to leave Malfoy Manor made him have to track the apparition traces of his fellow Death Eaters, getting to Godric’s Hollow when the fight had already begun, Pyrites and James throwing curses at each other while Peter was already in a bodybind on the floor, and Lily was out of sight, for his relief.</p><p>Seeing Severus, James’s already enraged face only grew darker, throwing vicious curses at Pyrites, while not allowing Snape to go through him. But Severus wasn’t there to fight James or kill children, so instead on engaging, he tried to find a way around him – and that was when he noticed that Peter wasn’t in the bodybind or even in the room anymore. “PETTIGREW” he raged, as he saw a ugly rat climbing the last steps of the stairs behind James. <em>Peter was a</em><em> bloody animagus.</em></p><p>As he turned around to follow Severus’s line of sight, James got hit with whatever spell Pyrites had been muttering, and was thrown to the ground. Snape didn’t spare him even a glance.</p><p>He followed Peter as if his life depended on it, because really, it did. And when he got upstairs, he felt like it had just ended. He got to hear her scream as she fell to the ground, and he knew that he would never forget it.</p><p>Peter was frozen in place, apparently shocked by his own actions, and Snape found himself incapable of even looking at the men. As Pyrites got into the room, he immediately raised his wand to the boy behind Lily’s body, and started casting the Killing Curse when, all of a sudden all three Death Eaters buckled - the mark in their arms burning. Only, it wasn’t the regular pain of being called upon, but the blaze of the harsher lines fading – and that could only mean one thing.</p><p>Wide eyed, they stared at each other. Pyrites was the first to move, left to dissapparate and never be found. Snape was second, raising his wand to <em>stupefy </em>Peter Pettigrew, because death would be too easy for him. He deserved to rot away with dementors feeding from his pathetic soul. So he left him, with the mark in his arm exposed.</p><p>He closed Lily’s eyes, just to look at them again when he turned to little Harry.</p><p>He left the house covered in a strong disillusionment charm,  just as Sirius Black walked in, and without allowing himself to think too much, he went to Albus Dumbledore.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Lucius was used to hate, he thought. He grew up hating muggles and their filthy ways, hating ignorant wizards and witches that wouldn't make an effort to understand and better their society, hating those too lazy to better their standing – honestly, he lost count of it over the years.</p><p>But in that moment, watching the one he so ridiculously called his <em>Lord</em>, throw a killing curse towards his one and only son, his hate was nothing. He never felt a emotion so devastatingly strong in his entire life, he was going to die from it right in that moment, he was sure. </p><p>However, once again, he was wrong; because the emotion he felt right after that, as he saw the fading green light disappear before his completely <em>unharmed</em> son, <em>that</em> one has going to kill him.</p><p>Lucius was the only one that didn’t seize the moment to send a killing curse to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, that had stood in transfixed horror before the child. No, Lucius was instead freezed in silence, with tears running down his eyes, looking at his son, and feeling all those spaces in his soul that were before occupied by hate, being filled with only love.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++</p><p>                                                                                                                                    NOW</p><p>The headmaster’s office was large, but full of weird and miscellaneous artifacts that overflowed of every surface and made piles on the ground,  the whole place pulsing with magical energy, enough to make Draco’s skin tingle - though he didn’t know if the magic came from all the random trinkets, the headmaster himself, or if it was just Hogwarts.</p><p>Draco knew how ancient Hogwarts was, but he was still overwhelmed. Ever since summer, when his parentes agreed to let him leave Beauxbatons for the Scottish school, all he did was research - needless to say he was very excited to finally be here.</p><p>He and his parentes received a quick tour of the grounds, and for the duration of it, all he wanted to do was squeak and run around – Draco was just so <em>happy </em>to study in the same place his family did, with so many knowledgeable and powerful wizards! But he kept his cool. He was a Malfoy, after all, and Malfoys don’t squeak – it’s undignified, or at least that what his aunt was always saying.</p><p>So he walked calmly, with his back straight and chin up, making polite and insightful remarks only when it was required. Although he was pretty much drunk from all the magic round him, it was still not enough for him to be oblivious of the tension between his parents and the Hogwarts Headmaster and the other teacher. His father had explained that Draco’s family was not in the best terms with the school’s staff since the war, that was one of the reasons Draco was sent to Beauxbatons in the first place. But now that he was here, he was not going to let old grudges that had nothing to do with him get in his way, so he was extra charming and well behaved.</p><p>In the Headmaster’s office, the Sorting Hat was brought to determine in which house Draco would be in, and although he was pretty much sure about how it was going to go, he still beamed at his parents when the hat announced “Slytherin” before even touching his head.</p><p>After Draco was instructed about his classes and dormitory, he hugged and kissed his parentes goodbye – despite his father’s slight reluctance over public displays of affection – and profoundly thanked Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall for their time, before waiting for his Head of House to lead him to the Slytherin dorms.</p><p>Severus Snape appeared shortly after, seeming reserved and strict, walking fast and not allowing too much conversation. He had greasy hair and Draco was pretty sure that the man was using a spell to make his robes flow dramatically around him – Draco really wanted to ask about it, but he had a feeling the man wasn’t going to appreciate it very much, so he stayed quiet. And soon enough, Draco was alone in his common room.</p><p>The dungeons were cold and humid, but had a regal tone to them, with expensive furniture, many detailed paintings, dim lighting and a very wide fireplace – all in a pallet of greens, silver and black, tied up with dark woods and sparse gems and gold. Draco was still accessing his surroundings when the common room entry wall dissipated and Slytherin students of all years walked in.</p><p>Draco was nervous from all the stares for about a second, before a familiar black haired girl broke from the crowd, and jumped in his arms with wide eyes and a huge grin, “Draco? Oh, I can’t believe it!”. He hugged her tightly and twirled her round once, laughing “Hi Pans, how do you like the surprise?”. After he put her down she sized him up with a exaggerated pout “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I honestly didn’t think you were capable of keeping secrets”.</p><p>“Of course he is capable! As long as it adds to his dramatics!” Blaise Zabini also made his way trough the wave of students that entered the common room, grinning and giving Draco a bear hug. “Did you know he would be here?” Pansy questioned him, now scowling. “No, I didn’t dear” Blaise rolled his eyes .</p><p>Draco laughed and hugged them once again, really happy to have such good friends in this new school. As they bickered with one another, Pansy and Blaise introduced Draco to the rest of their class and a few other students. Some of them he already knew, and most of them he at least heard of, after all, the Slytherin house is known for having either pure-bloods or families of high social standing, and he was familiar with those. He noticed that most of the students were curious about him, probably because they heard about the Malfoy family before. Draco knew that he had a reputation to uphold, but he didn't bother to put up a cool exterior when meeting his housemates, that was for outsiders. /p&gt;</p><p>After Snape’s grim speech, he got to his new dormitory, which he was sharing with Blaise, Theodore Nott – who was also kind of a childhood friend -, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, both who seemed really dumb? Anyway, the dormitory was circular with large beds with curtains, and was big enough for the boys to spread their things around leisurely.  However, the dampness was starting to annoy him just a little, as he was starting to feel his hair curling in the back. Why the <em>dungeons</em>? “Stop being prissy” Blaise rolled his eyes when Draco asked that question out loud.</p><p>“I am not!” Draco whined “but- really? This castle is huge, was this really the best place that Salazar Slytherin could find?” Draco was appalled, and soon all the boys were laughing at his antics. Draco didn’t mind – he learned pretty early that he thrived on attention.</p><p>After talking for a while longer, all the boys were soon in bed, after all, tomorrow was the fist day of school. Draco was looking forward to it.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>- fyi: Voldy read Bella's mind in that moment bc he saw her twitch, and wanted to know what was up in there.</p><p>Thank you for reading!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>               There was a cat staring at him.</p><p>               Harry looked around the corridor, but yes, he was alone. After having to come back to the Griffyndor Tower for his DADA book, everyone was already in the Great Hall. Which was where he was going to go too, but a cat just appeared in his way – Harry didn’t even notice until he almost stumbled on it – and it didn’t even flinch.</p><p>                “Uh, hullo” he said. The cat blinked. It had big blue eyes and fluffy grey fur, and it seemed to demand respect – that was why Harry stopped to talk to it. “Do you know Crookshanks? He is also a cat. Maybe you could be friends?”. Absolutely nothing. “Hum, okay. Well, it was nice to meet you, but now I’m gonna go eat, ok?” he waited as the cat quirked it’s head sideways, before meowing softly and getting up. The grey furball then proceeded to rub it’s side on Harry’s leg before continuing to make its way down the corridor.</p><p> <em>Alright, that was weird,  </em>he thought. But honestly? He was hungry and had seen much weirder things in his life, so he just shrugged it off and made his way to the Great Hall, where Ron and Hermione were discussing their class schedule. He was starting his second serving of bacon and eggs when he noticed that the conversations around him had subdued, and he followed his friends gaze to the Great Hall entrance behind him, where three students were making their way inside.</p><p>Two of them Harry knew, Pansy and Blaise were Slytherins in his year, and although not particularly nice, he had no real problem with them. The third, Harry realized, was the boy from yesterday.</p><p>He was tall and lean, pale skin and head held high, with glimmering white hair that fell on his forehead, just a little too long. The boy moved elegantly and effortlessly, making his strides towards the Slytherin table look somehow incredibly compelling. <em>He’s a Slytherin then, </em>Harry thought, unsurprised. Something about him just screamed pureblood.</p><p>“I heard he transferred from Beauxbatons” Hermione said, breaking his trance. “He is in our year, isn’t he?” Ron asked with his mouth full. “Ugh” Hermione grimaced, looking away from Ron “Yes, he is. His name is Draco Malfoy”. Harry turned to face his friends again. <em>Oh no.</em></p><p>“Did you say ‘Malfoy’?” Harry asked, he had to be sure. “Yes, Malfoy. I heard some second years talking about him” Hermione answered, still throwing glances to the new boy. “A lot of girls talking about him” Ron mumbled as Hermione blushed. But Harry wasn’t really paying attention “Well, my dad told me a lot about the Malfoy’s” Harry started, and Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances in front of him. “What?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh Harry, it’s just, we know the war was specially harsh on your family...” Hermione started, looking understanding “but remember that not everyone is like their parents”. “Yeah mate” Ron continued, looking a little apprehensive “and I heard that the Malfoys are one of the few families that tried to have a change of attitude since then”.</p><p>“How convenient for them” Harry’s eyes narrowed towards the Slytherin table “And I am not overreacting”. The white-haired boy had a bored expression, barely moving his mouth while talking with the other people on his table. Harry cringed as he saw that a lot of the great hall was looking at the boy, gossiping furiously, a lot of people were paying <em>too much </em>attention. It was kind of ridiculous, the boy acted super conceited and was probably a prick, it shouldn’t matter how pretty he – <em>what? </em>No... Harry didn’t mean that, he just meant to say that he looked like a prick. Yes, that's what he just thought. “He looks like a prick” Harry added, for good measure.</p><p>“Oh, look, our first class is with Remus, Harry!” Hermione huffed at the timetable and Ron tried to suppress a giggle about her subtlety. But Harry welcomed the subject change, he was actually excited to have some decent defense classes for once.</p><p>Remus was basically part of his family, being childhood friends with his dad and with his godfather. After a little insistence, he agreed to give Harry extra lessons during the summer, since it was his favorite subject, and now Harry was expecting to be top of the class. Remus would be a great teacher and the school was lucky to have him, but Harry knew that he had ulterior motives. His application was actually Harry’s dad, James’s idea, since Peter Pettigrew had escaped Azkaban at the beginning of the summer, and they both thought it would be better if the school had a competent defense teacher in case the Death Eater came by, and not some phony like Gilderoy Lockhart.</p><p>                “We have DADA and Herbology with the Slytherins, Charms and Transfiguration with Ravenclaw and Potions with Hufflepuff. Which electives are you taking?” Hermione asked. “Me and Harry will take Divination and Care of Magical creatures. Those are with Slytherin too” Ron announced, making Hermione frown “You picked those because they are the easiest ones, didn’t you?” they shrugged. “Harry! You know you need Ancient Runes for Auror training!” she yelped “And that is no way to choose subjects! I’m disappointed with you both!”.</p><p>                “Come on Hermione! Harry can take that next year, his dad said so. And focusing on the grades is totally justifiable!”. “Which electives are you taking, Hermione?” Harry added rapidly, before she had a chance to argue with Ron.</p><p>                “Honestly, I wanted all of them, but McGonagall convinced me that that was unsustainable...”, Ron gave Harry pointed look and muttered “unsustainable!” while Hermione was distracted buttering her toast “...So I’m taking Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, though I’ll do some assignments for Muggle Studies every couple of months” she finished, happily.</p><p>                “Muggle Studies? You are muggleborn” Harry said, dumbly. “Well, I thought it would be enlightening to see what the magical world thinks of muggles. I just <em>know </em>that there are wild misconceptions” she finished her coffee like it was a shot and lifted her eyebrows at them “Should we get going?”</p><p>                +++++</p><p>                The Slytherins were already sitting on the right side of class when they arrived, Harry noticed Malfoy sharing a table with Pansy Parkinson, nodding while she spoke but looking distractedly at the Grindylows in the aquarium that was in front of the room. Remus was standing while waiting for the rest of the students to arrive, and smiled and nodded at Harry as the boy grinned wildly at the professor.</p><p>                “Good morning everybody” Remus smiled at the class “My name is Remus Lupin, and I’ll be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. Now, I know this subject has a, uhm, <em>erratic</em> history when it comes to the reliability of its teachers...” the students nodded and mumbled with each other, only Malfoy looking a little bit confused “... but we’ll try to make the best of it. This year, I thought we could focus on dark creatures” he pointed to the Grindylows in the aquarium behind him “Can anyone explain what those are?”. Hermione eagerly raised her hand.</p><p>                The lesson was great, Remus was great at engaging the students and getting his point across, everyone was understanding and enjoying the class, including the Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle even asked a question, it was a stupid question, nonetheless, but at least it showed they were interested.</p><p>             Harry was extremely content by the time they were practicing spells, he had practiced the Revulsion Jinx during the summer, and was one of the few students that had already mastered it during class, only needing a few tries to get it right, while Ron could barely make it work. He was about to ask Hermione to be her partner for the Ebublio Jinx when someone stopped by the side of his table, making him look up. Harry froze when he met eyes of molten silver.</p><p>             “Harry, right?” Draco Malfoy asked with a half smile. “Ugh, yes” Harry answer dumbly, his voice cracking, he noticed the students were suddenly quieter and cursed internally when he felt a blush starting to creep up his face. “My name’s Draco” <em>Dray-co, D-ray-co </em>– Harry knew his name, but it sounded so good with his posh accent. The boy gave a small frown and Harry realized he hadn’t said anything, he had actually forgotten what Draco had said... <em>Oh</em>- That! He had said his name is Draco. Harry was about to open his mouth to say he already knew his name too, but the boy continued, probably thinking Harry was retarded or something “Would you like to me my partner in this assignment?”. Draco had a very cute inquisitive face and Harry said yes before he gave himself time to process that last thought.</p><p>They went to the back of the class with the rest of the students and drawn out their wands, Harry noticed that Draco’s was a very light colored oak one.</p><p>                Remus had explained the theory of the spell and was walking them trough the wand movements. The jinx was suppose to produce a large bubble, and used to trap a target. It was a difficult charm, so Remus said that if by the end of the class they could only produce a physical one, he would already be happy.</p><p>                That was one of the spells Harry practiced during break, and he already could make it physical. When it was time for them to try, Harry focused and pointed his wand to Malfoy, who was waiting patiently “<em>Ebublio!”. </em> The large translucent bubble flickered before solidifying into place, glimmering a faint blue. Draco grinned at him from inside the bubble and Harry felt his insides squirm, before a hand drop on his shoulder.</p><p>                “Very good Harry!” Remus said, and went to push and pull the surface of the bubble, that stretched but never broke “Very good indeed. Ten points to Griffyndor!” he beamed and turned to Draco, who was looking relaxed inside it. “Now Mr. Malfoy, how would you exit this predicament?” Draco, looked from Harry to Remus before raising his wand and muttering a spell that cut the bubble into hundreds of tiny peaces that slowly drifted to the ground around him.</p><p>                Draco looked unfazed but Remus raised his eyebrows. “Alright. Why don’t you try the jinx Mr. Malfoy?”. “Very well, Sir.” he said, again with his indifferent expression. Malfoy did the wand movement perfectly, and only muttered the incantation. The large bubble formed around Harry instantly.</p><p>                This time, Remus muttered spells to test the integrity of the shield, and his eyebrows went to his hairline “This is very advanced magic Mr. Malfoy, very impressive”. Harry raised his wand to try and use a severing charm to break the bubble, but Remus stopped him “No, no, no, Harry. It will bounce off and hit you. This type of spellwork needs to be ended by the caster; either that or call a cursebreaker. Again, impressive. Would you, Mr. Malfoy?”. The white-haired boy raised his wand the bubble dissolved softly around Harry.</p><p>                “Alright children, lets finish this up before I let you go” Remus called them back to their tables and Draco gave Harry a soft smile before nodding and going to his place besides Pansy.</p><p>                <em>What game was he playing?, </em>Harry thought. One second the boy looked cold and detached, and then he was all sweet smiles. And those spells? Merlin they weren’t even Hogwarts level. Harry imagined where the other boy could have learned those. It wasn't as if his family didn't already have a reputation for dark magic. As Remus finished the lesson and gave off homework, Harry’s mind was analyzing everything. Why did Malfoy even singled him out as his partner? He was already friends with the other Slytherins, and it’s not like he had no other options among the Griffyndors, because he had plenty – just one look to all the blushing girls could tell you that. So what was he playing at?</p><p>                When Remus directed them to the next lesson, Harry left hurriedly, Ron and Hermione on his toes. “Can you wait a second please?” Hermione said to them before taking a few strides to the opposite direction on the corridor, where the Slytherins were leaving to their next lesson. Harry’s wrist clenched when he saw Hermione approaching Malfoy, a slight blush to her cheeks. “What is she doing? Why is she talking to him?” Ron seemed to like the interaction as much as Harry did. They waited for Hermione to return before demanding a explanation.</p><p>                “I wanted to ask him about the spell. Remus was right, it <em>was</em> very impressive” she said, simply. “And what did he say?” Ron asked suspiciously.“I wanted him to teach me some things, and he agreed, he said we can meet sometime” Ron almost chocked before Hermione could finish speaking. “Oh stop it, you can come along” she said pointedly, but Harry wasn’t convinced. </p><p>       He didn’t like Draco Malfoy one bit.</p><p>+++++</p><p>                “Who is <em>that</em>” Draco asked, pointing discretely with his head to the boy sitting in the Gryffindor table across the Great Hall, it was the one he saw the night before. He had pitch black hair, tanned skin and very beautiful green eyes; Draco was already interested.</p><p>                “That’s Harry Potter” Pansy answered, after following his gaze. “<em>Harry Potter</em>” Draco tasted the name in his mouth, and decided he really liked the flavor. “Oh no, darling, just- no. I mean, I get it, he’s nice to look at, but that one just <em>embodies </em>all the gryffindorkish antics” she looked a little appalled. Draco rolled his eyes “Tell me more about him”.</p><p>                “He’s the Head Auror’s son, and wants to be just like daddy dearest. Got in the Quidditch team in his first year, the youngest in like a century or whatever – he’s a seeker. Very polite, well-mannered, and flavorless in my opinion” Blaise cut in with a ready explanation “The boy has a nasty temper though. Oh, and see that girl? - brunette, besides the ginger?” he indicated the other end of the Griffyndor table “That’s Theresa, his sister. She’s absolutely just like him, kind of funny actually”. The girl lifted her head and made eye contact with Draco, before blushing furiously and looking away. “That’s the summary. I agree with Pansy, Drake, he’s pretty plain” Draco just hummed, thinking about it.</p><p>                Later, during defense class, Draco approached him “My name’s Draco”. Harry just stared at him, his mouth slightly open. <em>Okay then</em>, Draco could hear Pansy’s quietly snickering behind him.</p><p>                But Harry was fine, and very cute, and actually smart. He was pretty advanced on the spell, and the jinx was a difficult one, Draco himself took a long time to understand it. Of course, his own relationship with magic was different from other wizards, and he was heavily trained to perfect it, so things came easy for him. Draco could <em>feel</em> magic, and Harry’s was welcoming and reliable, it felt good to be engulfed by it in the bubble, it felt warm.</p><p>                After the lesson, a girl – Harry's friend, <em>Hermione</em>, Blaise had said – came to talk about his spellwork. He normally would have refused, but she seemed really interested, and Draco loved how his voice sounded in eager ears, so he said he would help her – and of couse, if her friends happened to stop by, they would be welcomed too, Draco was generous like that.</p><p>                The rest of the day was great. He loved Transfiguration, and Potions was easy as always. Arithmancy was a little more challenging, but that’s where the fun is at. Instead of charms, he had private magical theory lessons with professor Sybill Trelawney. Since he had already exhausted both Hogwarts and Beauxbatons charms curriculum ages ago, he would get advanced private charms lessons with professor Flitwick every couple of weeks.  </p><p>                Before the feast, Draco went to the owlery to send a update to his parents. He knew they would be worried about how he was being treated, since the war affected Hogwarts much more than it affected Beauxbatons, but Draco was fine, no problem so far. Some people might had stared at him a bit crossly, but one icy glare was enough to make them look away – his mother would be proud. Overall, he would say the students were rather scared of him, not trying to hurt him.</p><p>                After giving the school owl a treat, Draco was leaving the tower when he came face to face with a certain dark-haired boy. “Oh, hi” he said to the slightly taller boy, quirking his head sideways. “Hello” Harry glanced away nervously before dodging Draco to enter the owlery, attaching a letter to the leg of a snowy owl and petting it fondly.</p><p>                “He’s really pretty” Draco said, softly. Harry freezed before continued petting the owl “It’s a she, actually”, he said, without turning around. “Oh, sorry” Draco mumbled, “...my family has a few owls, mine is named Volturus, but I could only bring one pet, so he stayed at home” he was babbling, but Harry was giving him <em>nothing</em>, so he was just inviting conversation, really.</p><p>                Harry could say “<em>oh that's a strange name, whatever does it mean?</em>”, or maybe “<em>Oh, what other pets do you have?”</em> and Draco would be delighted to indulge him, but no – Harry just petted his owl a couple more times, gave her a treat, and turned to leave. He gave Draco a very stiff and slightly hostile nod and left without looking back.</p><p>                <em>Uhm, what?</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                                                                                                       BEFORE</p><p> </p><p>Draco Malfoy always had a rather <em>complicated </em>relationship with magic. No one could explain it,or even really understand it. He drifted towards magic in the same frequency he ran away from it - they later on realized it had to do with intent, and that Draco actually had a complicated relationship with <em>emotion.</em></p><p>It was ironic, funny even, that something like that had to happen in a family that practically had a tradition of being emotionally closed off.</p><p>It came with no surprise that little Draco would like to spend his afternoons curled up in his mothers lap and surrounded by her magic. But whenever his father and grandfather argued, he was prone to magical flare ups - once he even lit on fire the halls of the West Wing, and it took months for them to repare themselves.</p><p>Before Draco was even three years old, the family realized that it was unlikely that anyone could stop Draco’s magic from manifesting, so they opted for the next best thing – get a hold of the emotional environment of the Manor. It was then that they started the infamous Black-Malfoy Therapy Sessions. </p><p>It took seven different mind healers – each one under a <em>unbreakable vow </em>of not spilling the family’s secrets – and at least 10 months of the manor being under constant lightning storm, with random earthquakes and nasty curses flaring up the place – courtesy of Draco – but eventually, all the years of suppressed discontent and grudges from childhood expectations, meaningless traditions, bottled resentment and misunderstandings were brought to light, and the Black-Malfoys finally started to heal.</p><p>After that, Draco was never happier, showering everyone with a compelling atmosphere of such love and acceptance, that the adults had to limit their number of guests and events at the Manor, because people were getting addicted to it.</p><p>Everything was fine and easy for the family. Well – at least until Draco turned six.</p><p>It was a September evening, and Bellatrix was teaching Draco how to play the piano, a fairly new hobby of them, while her husband was playing chess with Lucius Malfoy in front of the fireplace. After her and Draco dissolved in giggles over a little song they made, Bella conjured a few colorful butterflies to fly around the piano, leaving Draco open-mouthed as he admired them.</p><p>Draco stretched his hand to hold Bellatix’s wand with her – a common request of Draco for the members of the family, that after failed attempts of trying to explain why it wasn’t polite to touch another wizard's wand, decided to just indulge him. After all, it was his way to get closer to his loved ones magic.</p><p>He closed his tiny fingers around her wand, shutting his eyes and sighting. “I love you auntie Tix” Draco said, and Bellatrix hugged him tight “I love you too little dragon” – because that was now a common thing for the family, casual declarations of love and appreciation. What <em>wasn’t </em>normal is what happened next.</p><p>Draco let go of her wand and outstretched his little hand - and suddenly the previously vanished butterflies were flying around again. Bellatrix straightened her back and looked incredulously to her nephew, 'that was <em>not </em>easy magic'. “Lucius” she called out with a controlled tone.</p><p>Draco conjured more butterflies and giggled delightedly to his father “look daddy, how pretty auntie Tix’s magic is” and then all the furniture started to dance.</p><p>Lucius and Rodolphus were instantly up from the dancing couch, wide-eyed and muttering spells to make it stop. Lucius sat on the piano bench with his happy son, “I got it Bella” and signaled for her to help Rodolphus with the moving furniture while he started to speak softly with his son.</p><p>The situation was being handled with calm ande ease. Well, until Bellatrix Lestrange tried to use a spell and nothing happened. She furrowed her brows and tried again, and nothing. The third time, she said the incantation out loud and very carefully, but the spell still didn’t work. Rodolphus looked alarmed as she started muttering every spell she could think of – to no effect and with growing panic.</p><p>Lucius let go of Draco and was calling for Nacissa as Rodolphus started casting diagnostic spells on his wife, who was trying “Lumos!” loudly over and over again, tears streaming down her face.</p><p>“Why you crying Tix?” Draco came down from the bench and ran to his hysterical aunt. “Not now dragon” she muttered in between tries to make the lighting spell work. “I got it auntie” Draco said, as he raised his hand and a sphere of bright light came out. He smiled at her while everyone else froze.</p><p>“How d’you do that, Draco?” Bellatrix asked, quietly. “It’s your magic, Tix” he grinned, producing more sphere’s of light and butterflies, oblivious to the atmosphere of the room.</p><p>Bellatrix knew it made no sense, there wasn’t such a thing as “stealing” someone’s magic, but tears were still spilling slowly from her eyes and her hands were trembling. She took a deep breath and crouched down to her nephew, as the others watched. “Well, can you give it back to me Draco?”.</p><p>“What?” he was still looking distractedly at the butterflies.</p><p>“My magic Draco. Give it back to me”.</p><p>Quieting down, Draco looked around the room, to the wary faces of his family, seeming to notice for the first time the mood change. His smile died down, and he looked from the frantic face of his aunt to the floor. “I think I have a stomachache” he said, his voice barely audible.</p><p>“Your aunt can help you with that son, but she needs her magic first” Lucius cut in when Bellatrix’s face scrunched up, and crouched down in front of his son next to his sister-in-law “can you give it back to her?”. Draco didn’t say anything, but the lights and butterflies that he had created disappeared, and the furniture stopped moving. The room suddenly very quiet and dark. Taking that as a cue, Bellatrix got up and tried muttering “<em>lumos” </em>again and again, with no success. “Draco please give it back to her” Lucius continued to plead with his son, even Rodolphus trying to coax the child, that was now crying silently.</p><p>Bellatrix’s voice was now loud and severe, not pleading anymore “I need my magic Draco. How can I keep doing the pretty spells without it? Give it to me”. Eyes red, Draco lifted his head up to his aunt, and tried to smile “I like your pretty spells auntie” and more butterflies appeared around Bellatrix, who’s face turned red. She grabbed Draco by the shoulders, pushing Lucius and her husband out the way “I don’t want you to do it <em>for</em> me! I want you to <em>give it back</em>! It’s <em>mine</em>, give it to me!”.</p><p>She was shaking her nephew, who was now crying loudly “I’m so-sorry Tix”.</p><p>“Bellatrix that’s not-“ “Shut it Lucius!” she screamed at him, making him close his mouth and look pleadingly to Rodolphus, who had a helpless expression, not knowing the right thing to do either.</p><p>“What is happening here!” Narcissa Malfoy walked in the room alarmed, going towards Draco and pulling him away from her sister. “What is the meaning of this” she picked him up and hugged him tightly, looking between the three adults. “He stole my magic Cissa. I-I know it doesn’t make sense, but-but I just can’t...” Bellatrix panted. Narcissa looked from her hysterical sister to the men in the room, that looked helpless and struck.</p><p>“I’m sorry mommy” Draco cried with his head in her hair, she could feel his tears in her neck. The torches in the room flickering. “It’s okay dragon, shhh, it’s okay”. She looked at her sister “how did it happen?”. Bellatrix explained it with a shaky voice, about how he touched her wand and the spells he made later, and how she couldn’t do any now. She tried to do some to show her, but the result is was still the same.</p><p>Narcissa sat Draco on the couch, and got to her knees in front of him, holding his little hands in hers “It’s okay son, we know you didn’t mean it, no one’s mad at you darling” she wiped his tears away and asked Bellatrix to give him her wand “What?!” she squeaked. “Maybe he can reverse by touching it again Bella, I am as lost as you are, but we have to try something”.</p><p>With a trembling hand, Bellatrix gave her wand for her nephew to hold, and got down with her sister in front of him, waiting expectantly “Return it to me Draco, please”. He looked at her with wide eyes, held the wand tightly with both hands, and closed his eyes, his face contorted with effort. “Are you doing it? Is it working?” she asked, her tone starting to gain back the edge of hysteria.</p><p>Draco just shook his head sideways, heavy tears making their way through his closed eyes. “Try harder! I know you have it!” she screamed at him, his tiny hands trembling. “Bella-“ Narcissa started before Bellatrix snapped “Shut up already Narcissa!”.</p><p>A dark cloud started to form above Draco’s head, the wind of it pulling his hair around “Is that my magic that you are using?” she shook his shoulders again, the cloud getting bigger and darker, and as he sobbed, rain started to pour down, some drops splattering on his mother and aunt “Stop using my magic you stupid boy! Give it back to me!”.</p><p>“That’s quite enough Bella!” Narcissa started to pull her sister back, but wandless and furious, Bellatrix just used her hands to push her sister to the ground, and turned back again to shake her nephew and scream in his ears, she tried to grab her wand back but he held on to it, so she was now grabbing at his wrists, his cries against her screams.</p><p>Before she could get back her wand, her screams got interrupted as a invisible force pulled her across the room, her nails scratched Draco’s wrists as she got away. “This is getting out of hand” Lucius said after finishing the incantation on Bellatrix. Now Rodolphus stood in front of her defensively.</p><p>The sounds of the storm around Draco were getting louder, so Lucius strained his voice to be heard “Maybe we should call a healer, or a cursebreaker -“</p><p>“I’m as good as a <em>squib!</em>” Bella cut him while she got up, trying to get to Draco again, but Narcissa got in her way “He didn’t mean it-“ “It doesn’t <em>matter!”</em>, she screamed, and as she did, the fire in the torches went out.</p><p>Everyone went silent, the only sounds were Draco’s quiet sobs and the storm around him. Bellatrix raised her hand and muttered “<em>lumos”. </em>A sphere of light formed in her hand. “Get my wand” she whispered to Narcissa, that gently coaxed it out of her son’s grip.</p><p>Bellatrix did every spell she could think of, and after accessing that everything was back to normal, she crumbled to the floor, crying in relief.</p><p>Draco’s dark cloud didn’t went away for two weeks after that, he was constantly chased by at least a drizzle, and drying charms were noneffective. After it went away, his parents had to call a private healer due to a harsh fever he developed.</p><p>Three weeks after that, he met Professor Trelawney for the first time, and officially started his magical training.</p><p>There were a lot of other peculiar things about Draco’s magic that his parents hadn’t noticed yet. How sensitive he was to magic in general, how it would seek him out, how passive he was to it. “It could be a great advantage, but also a huge weakness” Trelawney had said. She was always saying enigmatic things. </p><p>Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had hired her because although very knowledgeable, she was also inconspicuous. She had been Narcissa favorite teacher from Hogwarts, and even if she had untraditional methods, they were the right ones for Draco. She was his tutor during the summers, and throughout the year, a array of professionals also taught Draco whatever they could to help him control his magic, but also what could help him become a powerful wizard, after all, the Malfoys never underestimated the future.</p><p>Draco meditated a lot, to help him feel the flow of magic. When he turned eight, he was taught occlumency, so he could be less vulnerable to the emotions around him.  He was taught how to access his own magic instead of taking what he felt around him, although that was easier, according to him.  He got a wand when he turned nine, because he already could do wandless magic without it, and should learn how to channel it properly. He also learned how to differentiate what magic was welcoming, from what was threatening – he always kind of <em>knew</em> how to do that, but it was important to label all the different types correctly, Trelawney had said, so he could differentiate what was magic that could help him, or protect him, or even harm him.</p><p>It was a week after that last lesson, that Draco stopped in front of the door to his father’s study, as it opened up for him, even though no one was inside. He knew instantly that it was dark magic doing that - of the worst kind, the kind that didn’t just want to harm him, but wanted to make him suffer too. He knew he should call his parents, but his occlumency was just so <em>weak</em>, and the magic calling him was so strong. So he just walked into the study, trembling helplessly.</p><p>He watched as a large painting of a landscape slid sideways in the wall in front of him, showing a metal door carved full of runes glowing red. The door opened, and Draco walked in to see a simple black book jump from one of the cramped up shelves into the floor in front of him.</p><p>Draco was crying, his head was pounding and whole body was shaking, but what could he do against <em>that</em><em>?</em> </p><p>He touched the book.</p><p>His own screams were the last thing he heard before passing out.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>                                                                                                       NOW</p><p> </p><p>Harry woke up to something weighting down on his chest. He froze, trying not to move. After a while of nothing happening, he slowly lifted his head up, squinting in the dark to try and make out what was on top of him.</p><p>He couldn’t believe it. It was that bloody <em>cat.</em></p><p>It was curled up in a ball, purring in it’s sleep. With his pointer finger Harry poked it, trying to make it wake up “Come on you nuisance, get off of me”, but the cat didn’t even open it’s eyes. It looked harmless, and actually quite cute, but Harry remembered the authority that the cat had inspired the last time he saw it - and for that sole reason, Harry went back to sleep and allowed the cat to keep doing whatever it wanted. When Harry woke up in the morning, it had already left.</p><p>After getting ready for the day, he and Ron met Hermione in the Common Room, where she was already buried under books, reading frantically. “What are you even studying?” Ron exclaimed “It’s only our second day!”.</p><p>“I’ll have you know that I have my first Arithmancy lesson today, and professor Vector is known for being strict” she gathered her books and accompanied them to the Great Hall “Well, let's now worry about keeping all our fingers intact. I’m afraid of what Hagrid will find appropriate for a Creature’s class” Harry answered, suddenly gloomy. “Tell me about it, mate”, Ron shivered beside him, probably having Fluffly flashbacks.</p><p>They were getting close to the entrance of the Great Hall when Harry spotted his sister by the large doors, giggling in a circle with Ginny Weasley and some other second years. He followed the gaze of the gossiping girls to the opposite side of the hall, and met no one other than Draco Malfoy and his Slythering possy. Harry narrowed his eyes and came to a halt, observing the scene, Ron and Hermione stopped beside him.</p><p>Draco was talking quietly with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott while turning to the Great Hall entrance, and for a second, he lifted his gaze and met Harry’s. For that moment, Harry felt something weird in his stomach, but he didn’t get much time to analise it, because Draco’s focus got redirected to Theresa, who was now in front of him, spluttering something with rosy cheeks.  </p><p>Harry observed the exchange. Although Malfoy’s expression stayed interested and polite, with a subtle smile, Nott and Zabini were raising their eyebrows and stealing glances at one another, sometimes looking at the rest of the second year girls that were still by the door. When Tessa came back to her friends, her face was beat red and she was panting, as if she just ran a marathon. Draco went to breakfast as if nothing had happened, but with the other boys laughing silently behind him.</p><p>“You can get going to breakfast, l'll meet you in a minute” Harry said to Ron and Hermione. “Oh no Harry, please don’t make a big deal out of it” Hermione pleaded “I wont” he said, looking at her and Ron “I mean it” and he really did, he wasn’t going to blow this out of proportion. “Yeah, ok mate” Ron pulled Hermione with him, and Harry went to interrupt the group of madly giggling girls.</p><p>“Tessa?” the girls jumped and turned to him, some of them – including Ginny Weasley – blushing – which Ron wouldn’t aprove of one bit. “Yes?” Tessa frowned, it wasn’t weird for them to talk, but it was weird for Harry to interrupt her hanging out with her friends over it “Is everything okay?”.</p><p>“Yes, nothing’s wrong, I just want to talk to you for a bit, is that alright? It’ll only take one second” he assured her.</p><p>“Okay” they waited as her friends left, and then she turned to him “What is it?”.</p><p>“Well, uh, do you know who you were speaking to, just now?” she looked at him intently, making him squirm, before furrowing her brows “Tell me this is just about you being an overprotective brother Har”.</p><p>“Come on Tessa, that’s not fair, you know it isn’t that simple”.</p><p>“We’re all children Harry, the War is over” Tessa could sound so grown up sometimes, like she had it all figured out. But she was only twelve.</p><p>“Well, you know why Remus is here right?” he asked, and she knew. Although the War was, in fact, long over, it left lasting damage. Their Dad going mad over Peter Pettigrew's escape ripped the band-aid off of the memory of their mother’s death. A lot of things were pretty much still the same, there was still prejudice against muggles, and many Death Eater families stood by Voldemort’s ideals.</p><p>The Malfoys might seem reformed and all of that, but it never hurts to be careful. Tessa knew that too. So instead of arguing and telling Harry he was paranoid, like some people would sometimes do, she just nodded, defeated. “Okay, I get it” she smiled softly at him, resigned.</p><p>“Thanks Tessa, I appreciate it” he hugged her, tucking her head beneath his chin “What d’you ask him, anyway” he asked, letting her go. “I just introduced myself” Harry raised his eyebrows, <em>that was a awful lot of blushing just for a introduction</em>, he thought “...and asked if he had a girlfriend” she added quickly. Harry’s eyes widened, and then he laughed “that’s why you were so red in the face then”. She mock-punched him in the shoulder “Well, I’m a Gryffindor, we take risks”. Harry couldn’t argue with that.</p><p>Before they separated to go to their respective places in their house table, Harry casually asked her “so, does he?”.</p><p>“What?” she asked, distractedly, as she was moving away “Does he have a girlfriend” he held his breath. “Oh, no, he doesn’t”.</p><p>Well, the turmoil in his stomach was back and he definitely didn’t want to deal with it.</p><p>“I’m telling you, that’s not normal” Ron’s voice made Harry jump. He sat down hurriedly besides Hermione and across from Ron. “What?” Harry asked. “I can’t even remember the last time I <em>touched</em> Ginny” Ron continued, making a disgusted face.</p><p>“Stop it Ron” Hermione huffed “I think it’s sweet” she busied herself with her breakfast as Ron frowned and mumbled to himself.</p><p>“So, she asked Malfoy if he has a girlfriend or not” Harry started, he didn’t know why he brought it up, but he just really wanted to talk about it.</p><p>“Oh, so that’s what it was about” Hermione’s eyes widened. Ron laughed “Tough luck mate”.</p><p>“I wouldn’t be so smug, Ron” Hermione interrupted his musings “Ginny has been ogling him quite a bit”, he inspected his sister down the table, that was, in fact, staring the Slytherins.</p><p>“Well, better him than Harry” he muttered, making Harry spill his pumpkin juice “I thought she was done with that”.</p><p>“Oh, no, no, no” Ron continued bitterly “She’s just more discrete. But don’t think I didn’t notice that our picture from last term suspiciously disappeared. I think she’s making a secret altar for you in her room” he grinned at Harry.</p><p>“Ron, you’re scaring him” Hermione laughed.</p><p>After some more bickering, they all made their way out of the castle to Care of Magical Creatures. Harry was able to sustain his good mood for about ten minutes, before he realized who they were sharing the class with. Harry’s deep sight got cut off by Hermione’s elbow in his stomach.</p><p>“Stop it! This is Hagrid’s first time teaching, and we need to be supportive. It’s not like the Slytherins are going to go easy on him” Harry and Ron agreed hastily, feeling guilty about not thinking about this themselves.</p><p>So they were very encouraging, smiling and nodding while Hagrid introduced himself and led them to the edge of the freaking <em>Forbiden Forest</em> – oh shite – where a bunch of horses? that where half chicken? (nevermind what they were, since they looked threatening anyway) were waiting for them.</p><p>“So, any of yeh can tell me wha’ these are?” Hagrid asked, looking expectantly at the students, but no one lifted their hand. Harry and Ron turned surprised at Hermione, as she never passed a chance to answer a question in class, even Hagrid was looking at the girl. But Hermione was facing the ground sheepishly “I couldn’t open the book”.</p><p>“Whot?” Hagrid looked around the class, noticing everyone had their books tied up or in cages “None of yeh could open it?” he looked disappointed. “Of course not” Theodore Nott sounded annoyed and smug at the same time “It almost bit my hand off. How d’you expect us to use it anyway?” Hagrid now looked almost embarrassed while the Slytherins, and even some Gryffindors were muttering in agreement.</p><p>Harry wanted to tell them to shut up, but honestly, his own book was forcibly closed with spell-o tape, after his father <em>stupefied </em>it for him. As much as Harry wanted to defend Hagrid, it really wasn’t a good choice of book.</p><p>“Well, you just needed to be gentle with it” Harry’s head snapped up with the cold voice of Draco Malfoy, who was holding his own book with only his bare hands, and it was showing no signs of trying to snap them off. “The book is almost a creature itself. I thought it was a good first lesson”.</p><p>His face was still bored, and his demeanor was indifferent, but Hagrid let out a relieved laugh “Tha’s right! Five points to Slytherin for figurin’ it ou’! Yeh’re suppose to pet it!”. The Slytherins still looked skeptical, but they tried it with the rest of the students anyway, and soon enough, everyone had their books open.</p><p>After that, the lesson went quite well, besides a few snickers and snide comments from the Slytherins, that were promptly met with defying Gryffindor glares. Overall, everyone was at least curious about the Hippogriffs (that was the name of the creatures), paying attention with various levels of amazement to fear of the beasts. Malfoy, Harry noticed, was squirming a little bit. <em>Maybe he was scared of them?</em> The thought was amusing.</p><p>Harry tried to figure out why the boy came to Hagrid’s defense - did he not know that his classmates weren’t exactly fond of the gatekeeper? Overall, Harry appreciated how the boy intervened, but he still had the feeling that he had bad intentions. Harry was so caught up with his own thoughts about it that didn’t notice the class taking a step back behind him.</p><p>“Harry! I knew yeh were a brave one! Come here!” Hagrid signaled for him to jump over the fence with him, to where the creatures were. <em>Crap.</em></p><p>“Now, these are very proud animals. Easily offended. Yeh walk up to them and bow, and yeh wait. Let them make the firs’ move. If I tell yeh to go back, yeh go back, ‘cause tha’ beak is no joke”.</p><p>Harry approached the animal cautiously, although the Hippogriff closest to him looked very bored and uninterested in him. He looked at Hagrid for guidance on what to do next, but the gamekeeper just nodded encouragingly. Harry faced the beast again and bowed down. And stayed bowed, stealing glances from time to time to the animal, but it was still gazing in the direction of the class, ignoring Harry completely.</p><p>Harry heard snickers from the class behind him, and tried to ignore it. The thought of <em>Malfoy</em> laughing at this expense made his blood boil, but he kept his cool, waiting for the Hippogriff to <em>please</em> acknowledge his efforts. And <em>finally </em>the animal bowed and allowed Harry to pet him.</p><p>Harry was admiring the big animal when Hagrid caught him by surprise, grabbing Harry under his armpits and lifting him on top of the animal, while babbling about Harry <em>riding it</em>.</p><p>“Now Harry, hold on tight, ‘cause he likes to go fast!”. Harry wrapped his limbs around the animal as strongly as he could, as the Hippogriff was already running to take off. <em>Take off?</em> Harry chocked a scream as the animal opened it's mighty wings – and soon enough, they were gliding oven the Great Lake.</p><p>Harry looked at the castle, that seemed small in the distance, and realized that this wasn’t bad at all. The Hippogriff huffed from under him, as if it took offence in his thoughts.</p><p>The surface of the lake below him was glimmering with the reflexes of the Sun, and as Harry looked down, he saw his own reflection, grinning wildly back at him.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>“Professor?” Draco opened the door to the astronomy tower slowly “Ah, yes Draco, do come in, I was just getting my divination lessons ready for my next class. Go sit down over there, I’ll be right with you”.</p><p>Draco started on his breathing exercises as he waited, pulling the air in, holding on to it for a couple of seconds before exhaling slowly. He could feel the subdued buzz of the castle around him, the steady energy from Trelawney, and the waves of raw magic from the Forbidden Forest outside the large windows. If he focused, he could feel faint magical signatures from witches and wizards on the castle, the most noticeable one being Dumbledore, pacing in his study, feeling... conflicted? Or maybe –</p><p>“Draco?”. He opened his eyes to his teacher sitting in front of him.</p><p>“Oh, sorry”.</p><p>“That’s quite alright dear, ready to start?”</p><p>“Yes, do your worst” he wiggled his eyebrows, but she just ignored him, as always.</p><p>It was before he started school that Draco learned all Trelawney had to teach about understanding and controlling his magic, and all he had to do ever since was practice. Now most of what she teaches him are things she can’t even do, but she knows enough theory about it to understand how it should work - like, how to detect defense wards and activate or enable them, change them or manipulate them, turn them into a curse or apply them to self defense. Besides these theoretical lessons, she would also teach him some advanced spells, that were always pretty fun to learn.</p><p>Trelawney’s lessons always left him exhausted, so much that he always pulled his occlumency shields all the way up afterwards, because although it made him feel a little blindsided, he just couldn’t handle the sensory overload of the school afterwards.</p><p>After two days at the school, Hogwarts was just what Draco had expected, and he was pretty happy about it.</p><p>He missed Beauxbatons though. The school wasn’t as old and magically charged; and the teachers weren’t as knowledgeable, but Draco still saw the place as his second home.</p><p>He missed his best friends, Ella and Raphael, his teachers, his soft blue uniform (that was much more fashionable than these boring black robes), the dormitory, and the castle itself. He sighted loudly as he walked trough the dark and empty Hogwarts halls, making his way slowly towards the dungeons.</p><p>He was allowed to be out of bed despite the curfew, because of his extra classes during the night. At first he was worried that the Headmaster wasn’t going to allow him his extra lessons, but Dumbledore was understanding and seemed very curious about how Draco was so advanced and required tutors in so many different subjects that weren’t in the curriculum. With his eyes twinkling, he had asked for them to meet sometime for tea and talk about it, and Draco agreed promptly – after all, Dumbledore was a very famous wizard and the boy wanted to learn more about him. His parents weren’t so excited about the meeting, but Draco reassured them that he knew how to be discrete, and they allowed it. Now, he was only waiting for the Headmaster to make the appointment. Draco was aware, of course, that Dumbledore was a very important person and was very busy, and he wasn’t in a hurry either, but he was a impatient boy, so naturally he was counting the minutes everyday and –</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Draco jumped at the voice, raising his hand to his heart with surprise and gasping. It was so rare for him to be snuck up on, since he could feel magical signatures from far away – but tonight he was tired and with his occlumency shields up, that’s why he didn’t see Harry Potter approach him in the dark halls.</p><p>“Oh Merlin you really scared me” he smiled at the other boy, but Harry was frowning and his expression didn’t change. Draco lowered his shields just enough to feel the boy, and he was met with distrust and suspicion.</p><p>It was now Draco’s turn to frown. What did Harry have against him? Ever since the school started two days ago Draco made a point to be accessible and nice, particularly to Harry, but he was only met with coldness.</p><p>“So? What are you doing here? It’s been after curfew for a few hours already”</p><p>Draco didn’t know what he had done to the boy, but he suspected that the answer was ‘nothing at all’. He had met people who held his parents former crimes over his head before, it was frustrating, but it had happened. Draco suspected that it was the case for one Harry Potter. His father was Head Auror after all, it only made sense.</p><p>Draco was disappointed, because he really had been curious about the boy, but he refused to be mistreated for things he had no control of. And besides, he learned a long time ago that he shouldn’t let others negative emotions reach him. So, he decided, Harry was just not worth the trouble.</p><p>“I could ask you the same thing” he answered, letting his face become blank and emotionless. He learned how to seem detached a long time ago, it was a way for him to spare his energy and emotion for only those who were deserving of it. <em>Harry wasn’t</em>, he guessed, <em>what a shame, he really is cute.</em></p><p>“I had detention with Snape” Harry answered, and waited for Draco’s justification. But guess what? he wasn’t getting it.</p><p>“Okay then” Draco nodded and proceeded to make his way back to the dungeons.</p><p>“I know you are up to something” Harry blocked his way.</p><p>“Oh, am I now?” Draco tried to walk around the boy, but he just wouldn’t budge.</p><p>“Yes. You may try to act all composed and... and well mannered or whatever, but really, it's obvious”. Draco raised his eyebrows, unimpressed. “Ok Potter, let me know when you figure out my master plan, will you?” he finally dodged the menace and left.</p><p>When he got to his dormitory, his friends were already asleep. With a pounding headache, Draco made a cocoon around himself with the blankets and raised his occlumency shields as best as he could, hoping for a good night of sleep.</p><p>As a additional thought, before he passed out, he made a note to himself to stay the hell away from Harry Potter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>- FYI: there will be more details about it later, but Harry did face Voldemort in his 1st year.</p><p>- Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>               Pansy Parkinson inspected her nails one last time. She had decided on matte black with little swirling green serpents on each of them – pretty cute, but complicated spellwork, the type that wasn’t really noticed or appreciated very often (what serves her well, since she always liked being underestimated).        </p><p>                She was waiting for Draco and Blaise at the edge of the Quidditch pitch. They wanted to watch the try outs for the new teams, and then they would meet her for dinner. Honestly, she didn’t see the point on watching a bunch of mediocre teenagers fumbling about on brooms, but at least her friends weren’t <em>trying</em> for the Slytherin team themselves. Thank Morgana for small victories.</p><p>                When Blaise and Draco met her, the Sun was already setting, and they hurried back to the castle, since Draco was nagging them about needing to go to the library after the feast.</p><p>                Two weeks had passed since third year had started, and things were going well. Since Draco had transferred from Beauxbatons, Pansy rekindled her friendship with him and Blaise. Although they all pretty much grew up around each other, and were the best of friends when younger, when her and Blaise started Hogwarts they drifted apart to different friendgroups. She still loved and appreciated Blaise, but he got closer with Theodore, while Pansy connected better with Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis.</p><p>                Now, they were a trio again, and she couldn’t be happier. She realized how she missed Draco, with his obnoxious ways and dramatics. He settled in Hogwarts pretty well, she thought, although her and Blaise were worried at first. Draco always required a lot of extra attention, and people have different reactions to that.</p><p>                Luckily, most people were generally impressed at his being so advanced in classes and taking extra lessons in random subjects. Of couse, his family name and reputation always helped to inspire respect and fear. And it was also a advantage that he was getting pretty good looking – for a wonky and skinny thirteen year-old, that is. Overall, he was admired by the Slytherins, and the other Houses reactions varied with the students - some showed fear, others respect. And there were always the defiant ones, that had families personally involved in the War, or that distrusted Slytherins. But the whole House had experience with the last type. It was no biggie. </p><p>                One other thing she noticed was the boy-Potter. He was never extra friendly towards Slytherins before, but his reaction to Draco was particularly negative, to her surprise. She noticed that he would find excuses for them to snicker at each other through the halls, exchange glares during classes and sometimes even throw around insults. He also seemed to put Draco on edge, which was never good.</p><p>                Draco had perfected his emotional control since the time they were kids, but the Gryffindor Golden-boy just knew how to throw that progress out the window. Pansy couldn’t really blame Draco, Potter <em>was</em> really annoying.</p><p>                But besides that, everything was going well. Blaise, Draco and her would spend their free time together, gossiping about other students and professors, strolling around the Great Lake trying to take a peek at the Giant Squid while Blaise gushed about merpeople (some of which he swore lived in the lake), and studying together. She was about to suggest them to get a head start in their Transfigurations homework later when Draco came to a halt, with his back really straight and eyes frantic.</p><p>                “What is it Drake?” Blaise looked around the halls, that were practically empty. “I’m not sure” Draco answered “But it’s nothing good” he continued walking, Pansy and Blaise in toll, past the loud Great Hall, and in the direction of the exit closer to the Forbidden Forest. “Yep, definitely something wrong” Draco slowed down as they got closer to the exit.</p><p>                “Do you know what it is?” Pansy asked Draco, trying to force herself to remain calm, and exchanged a worried look with Blaise. They both knew that Draco could feel things they didn’t, and although there was a lot they didn’t understand about how that worked, or what that meant, they <em>did </em>know that Draco was rarely wrong.</p><p>                “I can’t tell <em>what </em>it is” Draco looked at them, seeming paler than usual “but I know it feels wrong, and it shouldn’t be here. It’s...” he fumbled through his words, looking in the direction of the archways that were getting slowly closer and they walked towards them “...it feels cold, and empty. I can’t explain...”.</p><p>                “Okay then” Pansy tried to keep a clear head, since Draco was looking lost and Blaise had wide and manic eyes “You go get a teacher” she ordered to the latter, that nodded before turning to were they came from and started running. She faced Draco “What should we do? Is it trying to hurt us? Or to get inside the castle? Should we run away too?”.</p><p>                “No, it’s not really doing anything” he continued going towards the grounds “It’s getting closer, but they don’t seem to have any particular intent”. “<em>They?"</em> Pansy squealed.</p><p>                They could both now see the grounds through the large archways, and Pansy pulled on the sleeve of Draco’s robes, trying to get him to stop, but he kept going, despite looking like he would pass out in any second. The corridor they were in was completely empty and dimly lit, and seemed unnaturally cold. By the time they reached the end of the hall, Pansy was shaking alongside Draco, and squinting trying to see outside, were the Sun had already set.</p><p>                She could see their breaths condensing in front of them, which shouldn’t happen this time of year, but it <em>was, </em>suddenly, so cold. “Draco, we should go” Pansy whispered, but realistically, she also couldn’t bring herself to move. She didn’t feel scared anymore, the fear gave away to hopelessness, like she had already lost whatever battle she was expecting to fight.</p><p>                All of a sudden, Draco jumped and grabbed her hand tightly, gasping. “What is it?” she asked, squinting trying to see whatever Draco saw – she didn’t hear if he answered or not.</p><p>                Three tall dark figures were coming out of the darkness. They slid forwards, with crumbling black robes drifting in the non-existing wind. She couldn’t see their faces, but there were skeletal dark hands hanging from under the robe sleeves, making her feel nauseous.</p><p>                Lost in her own despair, she almost didn’t notice Draco’s. The boy was dealing with it worse than she was, sweating profusely and with silent tears streaming down his face. “I can’t block them out” he whispered with a strangled voice. Draco was very susceptible to outside influences, she remembered. She couldn’t imagine what he was feeling right now, if she already felt so awful as it was.</p><p>                Pansy didn’t know what those creatures were, she didn’t remember ever studying them or even hearing about them before - meaning, she had no idea what their intentions were. Just their presence was enough to make her freeze on her tracks and want to lay on the floor, fetal position, and cry for her Mum. So, when all three of them turned to Draco, her already twisted insides turned cold.</p><p>                The faceless monsters moved towards him, and Draco grabbed her hand tighter. Although the creatures weren’t even close enough to touch them, she could tell they were doing something. It was as if they where sucking the breath out of Draco from afar, almost pulling his essence with it – that just wouldn’t do.</p><p>                Pansy conjured whatever was left of her protective instincts and spoke, with a shaky breath “That’s quite enough of that”. She stepped in front of Draco, that held on to her shoulders, trying to steady himself. She pulled up her wand with a trembling hand. She couldn’t even start to think of a spell that could work against this <em>things</em> – but hey, maybe Draco could? He was better at defense spells than anyone she knew. He <em>was </em>very shaken, but maybe if she bought him enough time...</p><p>                The creatures came forwards once again, and now she also felt their pull. They weren’t taking the breath out of her lungs, it was much worse than that. It was like they were bringing to light the worst emotions she ever felt in her life. She remembered when her uncle slapped her in the face for being insolent; when his dad called her useless once; the time she cried herself to sleep because her friends were ignoring her; the day she found a book about the history of the war, and stopped trusting the adults around her.</p><p>                It was like she only ever felt bad things her whole life. Even if she tried to find something good, something happy – she just couldn’t, there was nothing there. She registered Draco’s body falling to the ground behind her, but she couldn’t be bothered to just turn and look.</p><p>                Before she felt her own knees give out, she remembered hearing a loud voice screaming out a spell.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>“Peter Pettigrew was spotted in Scotland a few days ago”.</p><p>Harry looked at Remus with wide eyes.</p><p>It was the Saturday after the Quidditch tryouts, and the first weekend where the third years would be allowed to go to Hogsmeade, and Harry was really excited about visiting the village with his friends. But when he presented his authorization form to Filch, the caretaker stubbornly denied him, and before Harry could find a way around it, Remus was already behind him, with a hand on his shoulder, asking him to have a talk.</p><p>Harry ended up saying to Ron and Hermione go without him, though he was bitter about it. And now he was here, having tea with his practically-uncle, and with sudden chills running over his spine “He’s coming for me” he muttered.</p><p>“Well, we can’t be sure of anything” Remus, continued, looking pitiful “But that <em>is</em> what’s most likely. So you need to understand Harry, your security is our top priority at the moment”.</p><p>Harry got it, of course - the crazy man that betrayed his parents and murdered his Mum while trying to kill him was coming to finish the job. Maybe Harry should be scared, but suddenly all he felt was rage. Remus’s voice broke through his musings though.</p><p>“Now, I want to be very clear with you Harry. Everyone is concerned about capturing Pettigrew and bringing him to justice, <em>especially</em> your Dad. Extreme measures were taken to make sure you are safe while this whole thing unfolds, and one thing we <em>don’t need </em>is you running around and getting yourself in trouble, okay? Leave it to the professionals”.</p><p>Harry huffed, a little insulted, but also a little embarrassed “I’m not going to run after him”. Remus took a sip of his tea, raising one eyebrow and looking unimpressed “I’m not!” Harry assured him. “So, I can’t go to Hogsmeade. What other 'extreme measures' were made?” he asked, trying to change the subject. It worked, since Remus squirmed a little in his chair, making Harry very curious.</p><p>“We actually had a problem with that yesterday, Dumbledore is furious” Remus started, hesitantly, before looking at Harry “Dementors were brought in from Azkaban to secure the grounds”.</p><p>“What!” Harry was stunned. Dementors were the single creepiest things he ever heard of. He only knew about them because of his Dad. James sometimes needed to go to Azkaban for work, and even though he knew the defense spell to repel the creatures, he still returned home shaken and spent, just for being near them. And now those things were in Hogwarts? “Isn’t it dangerous for them to be near students?”</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t suppose to be. They should only patrol the edges of the property, and not even be seen by students. That’s why there wasn’t a oficial announcement about them to the public”.</p><p>“...but?” Harry asked, worried. “But” Remus sighted “yesterday evening three of them got close to the castle, and there was a incident with two other students. They recovered fine, but it was concerning. Their parents were notified and are irate, understandably so.”</p><p>“Are the dementors being removed from the property now?” Harry wondered. He felt guilty that the students were hurt because of something that was here for him. He couldn’t imagine what must have been like for them. They probably didn’t even realize what was happening or how to defend themselves.</p><p>                Dementors weren’t really discussed, since basically all of them stay in Azkaban. But they are really dark and mysterious creatures, and there’s really just one way to defend yourself from them, and without it, nothing else is effective.</p><p>                Harry asked for his father to teach him the <em>patrounus</em> charm even before he got a proper wand. He was fascinated by James’s glimmering stag, even though he only knew the spell for it’s communication purpose. His father finally decided to teach it to him in the end of his second year, even though it was a tricky spell. It took Harry the whole summer to learn, but he got the hang of it after Remus’s help. Right now, he felt assured about knowing the incantation, since those creatures were roaming around.</p><p>“No, they’ll stay here. It was a big discussion, and Dumbledore was not pleased. But the Minister and the Auror department assured him that the dementors will be reprimanded”.</p><p>“Reprimanded?” Harry couldn’t imagine <em>how </em>anyone would be able to <em>reprimand</em> a dementor. Remus shrugged his shoulders “I don’t get it either”.</p><p>After that, they both finished their tea over lighter topics. They talked about the Quidditch try outs – Theresa didn’t want to participate, to everyone's disappointment, but she swore that she would be up for it next year – and about Sirius coming back home.</p><p>Sirius Black, Harry’s Godfather, was a freelance Cursebreaker. When Harry’s Mum passed away all those years ago, Sirius moved in with James to help him with everything. At first, he worked locally in some simpler cases, but as things became more stable in Harry’s household, with James getting himself back together, he started working more complicated jobs, most of them abroad. He ended up traveling a lot, staying away from months before coming back. Right now, he was coming back from Peru, after three months.</p><p>Harry didn’t know how long he was staying for, but he hoped that it would be for a long while. Harry’s father wasn’t taking the whole 'Peter Pettigrew running away from jail' thing very well, and spending time with his best friend would sure help a lot.</p><p>Harry expressed his hopes to Remus, who seemed to understand him, and assured Harry he would mention it to Sirius. He said he was planing on visiting them some time next week, and would keep Harry updated on how things were going. Harry was really thankful for it.</p><p>After saying goodbye to Remus, Harry decided to spend some time with Hagrid. He still hadn’t properly spoken with his friend this school year, and was feeling guilty about it.</p><p>On his way there, he was quickly intercepted by a grey fuzzball with blue eyes, which had become quite common over the past couple of weeks. Harry didn’t even hesitate in picking the cat up (that he figured out was a little lady) and carrying her along. After their time together, he had realized that she was very demanding, very loud and attention seeking. He was charmed.</p><p>“Hagriddd” Harry knocked loudly on his door, that opened up to Fang jumping enthusiastically, which didn’t make the lady cat very happy, Harry realized, as she hissed and squirmed in his arms.</p><p>“Harry! Wha’ a surprise! Do come in” Hagrid pulled Fang away and gestured for Harry to sit at the table, while he started to make some tea. Harry was going to drink more tea today then, yay.</p><p>“And who is this?” Hagrid asked speaking softly – as softly as he could – to the annoyed cat in Harry’s lap. “Well, I am not really sure. Ever since school started she’s been kinda of, chasing me around? At first I was annoyed, but turns out I really like her”.</p><p>Hagrid looked at her intently, and even tried to pet her, but she gave him a deadly look, se he backed down. “Lis’en Harry, I need to tell yeh, this is not jus’ a cat. She’s a Familiar” Hagrid said, excited.</p><p>“A Familiar?” Harry looked at the grey cat on his lap, who was also staring up at him, with her head quirked sideways “What does that really mean? I mean- how can you tell?”.</p><p>“Well, can’t you?” he indicated Fang, that, Harry didn’t realize, was trying to get closer to him, but seemingly couldn’t, because he kept getting pushed back by an invisible force. Wide eyed, Harry stared at the cat once again. “How’s she doing that?”.</p><p>“Familiars are very powerful litt'e things, they have ancient magic, that is. They are very rare this days, is a real honor to mee' this one”.</p><p>“And she chose <em>me</em>?” Harry felt incredibly flattered.</p><p>“Oh no Harry, if she was bonded to yeh, yeh woul’ had figured that out already” Hagrid laughed as Harry deflated, feeling a little betrayed.</p><p>“A bond to a familiar is a very deep connection, yeh see, your magical cores get mixed together, and yeh can always feel each other. But don’t be sad over it. Yeh see how much she likes you? Tha'’s rare too! Very particular creatures these are, and if she’s gettin’ close to yeh like tha’, it means she respects and admires yeh”.</p><p>“Hum”. Harry didn’t really know how to respond. He was distracted for the rest of the conversation because of it. After he said his goodbyes and accepted a pocket full os rock-cakes, he promised to come back with Ron and Hermione.</p><p>While he waited for his friends to come back from Hogsmead, Harry sat down by the lake, with his kitty friend still in tow, and thought about all the things he learned that day. The dementor thing still had him creeped out, although, he was reluctant to admit, it was assuring to know that there were measures in place for his safety. He was also sad to not be able to go Hogsmead. Part of him wanted to sneak out through one of the secret passages he had learned from the Marauders Map, but he knew how mad his father would be if he heard about it, so that impulse was easily denied. The whole Familiar thing also got him thinking – if the cat didn’t want to bond with him, what was she doing following him around like that? Up until this day, he had only ever heard about these animals in old stories, and now he had one glued to his side. Harry didn't really know what to think of that.</p><p>He was petting her head when she sat up, looking intently to the direction of the trees besides them. Harry was about to stupidly ask her what was up, when he heard footsteps from that direction. Harry didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t Draco Malfoy.</p><p>The blond boy came out from behind the trees, seeming very tired and spent, with poorly concealed dark circles under his eyes, and his usually impeccably styled hair all messed up. He looked a little surprised to see Harry, but he recovered rapidly, standing a little straighter “Potter” he greeted him. Harry quickly shut his slack jaw.</p><p>“Malfoy. What are you doing here? How did you find me?”. Draco looked a little insulted at that, and a little mad, but the last part didn’t seem directed at Harry. The blond boy looked down at the cat sitting besides Harry.</p><p>The cat meowed languidly, before getting up and rubbing her side on Harry’s leg, all while looking at Draco, who seemed aggravated. Harry was also feeling a little insulted, he thought. “Do you know her?” he got up, cleaning the dirt from his trousers. The cat huffed and walked slowly towards Draco, that was looking at Harry like was really dumb.</p><p>“She belongs to me” he said, although he looked at her like he was regretting that at the moment. Harry took a moment to process that “She’s a Familiar” he said.</p><p>“I’m well aware, thank you” Malfoy replied.</p><p>“I mean” Harry continued, annoyed “you can’t just own her, right? She has to <em>pick you</em>”. The cat sat down besides Draco, looking at Harry with a matching expression as her supposed owner. Harry saw Malfoy’s eye twitch before he replied, sighting “She belongs to me, like I belong to her. It’s an even exchange. And she did, 'pick me', that is” he explained, making air quotes and everything.  </p><p>“How does that even happen, how does – “</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry Potter. Are we friends?” Draco interrupted him, looking very irritated “Do I seem very eager to satisfy your curious little questions?” he rubbed a hand over his eyes, before picking the cat up with one hand under her chest and holding her by his side. Harry got mad because of the rudeness, but he could also see that the other boy was <em>very </em>tired, and decided to back off, very maturely.</p><p>"Are you making her follow me around?" Harry let the question slip, because this whole 'magical cat in tow' situation seemed a lot less fun and much more suspicious when she was reporting to Malfoy. </p><p>"Aren't you just <em>very</em> self centered?" he sounded insulted. Harry couldn't help but notice he didn't answer the question. As Draco turned to walk away, finishing the conversation, Harry couldn’t contain himself, so he asked one more harmless question “What’s her name?”</p><p>Draco stopped in his tracks, and then continued to leave, but before he was gone, he answered over his shoulder, “It’s Genevieve”.</p><p>That was a very conceited, pretentious name. <em>How very appropriate, </em>Harry thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let me know what you think so far!!!<br/>xoxo, gossip girl</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Focus. Breathe in, and breathe out. Think of your chosen memory in detail, of what makes you happy. Feel your energy, let it flow thr-“</p><p>“Sybill, darling, I love you to pieces but if you don’t be quiet this instant I’ll rip my own head off” Draco whispered, through gritted teeth.</p><p>“Insolent child” professor Trelawney muttered, but allowed Draco to try without her guidance.</p><p>He focused again, it shouldn’t be this difficult, honestly. The <em>patronus </em>was a tricky charm, sure, but it was based on emotion, and one thing Draco was always in touch with was emotion. A whole month had gone by since the whole Dementor debacle, and he was still annoyed. His and Pansy’s parents were absolutely irate when they heard about it, but the ministry wouldn’t change their stance. His father told him that he was once offered to join the board of governors of Hogwarts; after all of this he would probably rethink his previous refusal.</p><p>Thankfully, the incident happened when no other students were around, so they were able to keep it quiet, and no one else heard about it. Professor Lupin had appeared just in time to save the day. Draco was glad - he woke up in the hospital wing, with Blaise looking wide eyed while describing how scary it all was.</p><p>After that, he asked professor Trelawney about the creatures and why he reacted that way to them. Draco wasn’t a child anymore, he had strong occlumency shields and very good control over his emotions, yet, that day he found himself helpless.</p><p>The answer was unsatisfactory, to say the least. No one knew the exact origin of the creatures, what they actually do, or how they do it. Their history is tied to Azkaban itself - rumored to be born out Dark Magic and the despair of it’s first residentes. They supposedly fed of happy memories and souls of wizards, leaving only the shells of what a person once was. It was all very depressing.</p><p>Either way, Draco wanted to know the protection charm. Not only because of the Dementors – since it was unlikely he was ever going to face one again – but because it was a beautiful spell and the communication benefits were awesome. He asked Sybill to teach him, and then he would teach Pansy and Blaise.</p><p>However, it wasn’t as easy as he thought. Draco had tried for three consecutive lessons before deciding it was impossible and he wouldn’t waste any more time with it. He had completely forgotten about it, until two days ago.</p><p>Draco was excited about his Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, it was a practical one, and they would be facing a Boggart. He was familiar with the spell, as were most Purebloods – living in ancestral homes, with very old miscellaneous artifacts - that could easily house Boggarts - used to do that. The last time he faced one, he was met with a vampire – to Draco’s defense, he was 7 at the time – and right now he wanted to see what it would become - he had a hunch though.</p><p>The Slytherins and Gryffndors were mashed up together in a line, and everyone took turns facing and dismissing the creature. So far, there had been some Dark creatures, some muggle lore, parents and even a few professors. When it was Pansy’s turn, who was a few people ahead of him in line, the Boggart turned into a mirrored image of herself.</p><p>Draco was expecting a Dementor, but he wasn’t completely surprised about it. The Boggart wasn’t exactly <em>her</em>, although that was what it might seem to the unobservant eye. The fake Pansy had a more arrogant posture, a cold look and her eyes and a slightly down turned moth; if Draco could bet, he would say she would also have a Dark Mark in her arm. But there wasn’t much time for analysis, since Pansy – the original one – raised her wand at once, only muttering the incantation, and caused the black hair of her copy-cat to light up in flames, and the Boggart melted like a candle. Professor Lupin urged the now silent class to move forwards, but even him seemed a little shaken after Pansy’s performance.</p><p>By the time it was Draco’s turn, the students were cheery again, but it wasn’t for long. A large Dementor materialized for the boy, whose mouth had gone dry. <em>“Riddikulus” </em> he tried to mutter, but he knew it wouldn’t work, his mind wasn’t in it. The room had gone cold and the creature was closer, and Draco couldn’t even remember what he was doing there.</p><p>He had to be saved by Professor Lupin’s bloody <em>wolf</em> <em>p</em><em>atronus </em>once again – it was so obvious that the man was a werewolf! Not that anyone except Draco knew, but whatever – and he was embarrassed. The class was cut short, so Draco didn’t even get to see what Potter’s biggest fear was.</p><p>Angrily, he had gone to Trelawney, asking her to continue the lessons in the annoying spell - to what she agreed, looking unimpressed.</p><p>And now here Draco was, trying to search through his happy memories – which he had many of, thank you very much – to create a silver animal smoke shield. It all seemed very stupid.</p><p>“This is all very stupid” he voiced. Sybill only huffed. “I’m serious” Draco continued “Look, think like this: if the things <em>want</em> to get to your happy memories, shouldn’t you be guarding them? Instead, we’re literally channeling them out for them! Shouldn’t the shield be made of sad memories instead?”</p><p>“Oh, I see why you’ve been having trouble” Trelawney said, sparking his interest “Don’t think of it as exposing your happy memories, but as taking ownership of them” she finished, simply. And just like that, it all clicked in Draco’s head.</p><p>Five minutes later, his own glimmering smoke animal was running around the astronomy tower.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Harry was flying languidly over the Quidditch Pitch, occasionally dodging the bludger that the Ravenclaw beaters would send his way, and searching for signs of the Golden Snitch. So far he had no luck. He blamed Draco Malfoy – just a little bit.</p><p>The boy was sitting with the rest of his housemates, and wasn’t doing anything noticeable, really, just babbling about with Pansy, Blaise and Daphne – but every time he moved, his <em>hair  </em>would get caught in the sunlight, and it was like a <em>beacon, </em>getting Harry’s eye. <em>Ugh, so annoying. </em>Harry thought, <em>Why is his hair like that? </em>He considered if the boy was doing it on purpose, just to distract Harry, and make him lose the game. Honestly, it was a possibility. </p><p>Harry forced himself to keep searching for the Snitch, and in the other side of the pitch, he thought he saw a sparkle of gold. He sped away in his Nimbus 2001, just to break abruptly, when he couldn’t find the glimmer anymore. <em>Dammit</em>. He felt the air shift in the back of his head, and turned to find the Ravenclaw seeker doing a last minute maneuver trying not to bump into him.</p><p>He couldn’t quite remember her name, but he knew she was a year older than him. She was small, with hair almost as dark as his. Harry thought she looked cute, but he didn’t like the whole tailing him strategy, and he wasn’t going to let her get away with it.</p><p>He tightened the hold on his broom and zoomed away through the middle of the other players, dodging them with precision, until she was out of sight. She was good in a broom, but Harry grew up on his – there was no competition.</p><p>He barely got to listen to the commentary of what was happening with the rest of the game before the Snitch was in his line of sight once again. He sped downwards, wind ringing in his ears. The little sphere was going straight down and Harry was dropping vertically in his broom. The grass below him was getting closer and closer, but the Snitch was not changing it's course and if that damned ball could move last second then so could Harry. So that’s what he did.</p><p>His feet brushed the ground below him when Harry pulled his broom upwards, but it was that momentum he saved that allowed him to finally close his hands around the Golden snitch.</p><p>“Did everyone <em>see</em> <em>that?! </em> That’s Harry Potter once again people! Gryffindor wins with 250 points!” Lee Jordan’s voice ringed loudly against the sound of the cheering students, and soon enough his teammates were all over him, Fred and George raising Harry over their shoulders and singing something unintelligible.</p><p>Harry was laughing and cheering with his friends, very proudly showing the Snitch to Ron and Hermione, who joined him in the ground. Before he got down, Harry saw a glimpse of a head of very pale blond hair leaving in the direction of the castle.</p><p>Before the crowd dissipated, the Ravenclaw seeker showed up in front of him. “That was a good catch Harry” she smiled at him from under her eyelashes “I hope I’m a bigger challenge next time” she waved him off before leaving, and Harry stared dumbly after her for a second - she really was pretty. He was blushing, but thankfully the team was still too distracted with their victory to notice. He made a mental note to ask around for her name later.</p><p>After promising to meet Hermione and Ron in the Gryffindor Tower, he went to the locker rooms to shower and change out of his sweaty uniform. Oliver Wood was still gloating about their new point advantage when Harry finished and left. He was running his hand distractedly over his wet hair, lost thinking nonsenses about the other seeker and even indulging in some weird wondering about whether or not Malfoy ever played Quidditch when the figure of a tall man appeared in front of him.</p><p>Harry jumped back before a barking laughter made him realize instantly that the man was, in fact, his Godfather - Sirius Black.</p><p>“Sirius!” Harry hugged him tight “I missed you!" he looked around "Have you talked to Tessa yet? She’ll go crazy, it’s been too long-“</p><p>“It’s good to see you too, kiddo. Yeah I talked to her right after the game. Nice catch by the way, your Dad would be impressed”.</p><p>“Where you watching? The whole thing?” Harry beamed.</p><p>“Sure I did. You are even better than James was – just don’t tell him I said that” Sirius smiled widely. He was taller than Harry, even though the boy grew up a lot during the summer. But Sirius had always been taller than James too, so Harry didn’t have any expectations of passing the man. Sirius had his dark hair falling in curls around his face, framing his aristocratic features. The man may have left behind his pureblood status and lifestyle, but he still had their genetics. Even now, with a simple muggle outfit, there was still a imposing aura about him.</p><p>“Come on, let’s have a chat before I have to leave” Sirius directed them around the castle, and they walked slowly towards the front entrance, chatting about Sirius’s last trip and how Harry was enjoying the year so far. They got a little stuck on the subject of Harry’s father. It was no surprise that the man wasn’t doing very well, being the Head Auror and dealing with Peter’s escape. But Sirius assured Harry that he was planning to stick around until everything was dealt with.</p><p>“I just don’t get it” Harry said, after a while “Why come after me now? He has nothing to gain, nowhere to run, and Voldmort is long gone. You always said he was just a coward. How did he even broke out of Azkaban in the first place?”</p><p>Sirius didn’t have answers either “Well, for a part of my life I also thought I could trust him, so I guess I just don’t know the man. I don’t know why he is coming after you Harry – maybe it’s revenge, maybe he want’s to finish what he started... There’s no way for me to know. <em>However, </em>what i <em>do</em> know, is that he is not getting anywhere near you kid, that’s for sure”.</p><p>“Yeah, I know” Harry said. They sat down on the steps by the entrance of the castle. The Sun had just set, framed by the Great Lake.</p><p>“Well, don’t get gloomy on me now kid. What else is going on around here? Any girls you like? Or anyone giving you trouble? You mentioned someone in your last letter” Sirius poked Harry in his ribs, making him giggle.</p><p>“Yeah, Malfoy. He hasn’t <em>done</em> anything, per se, but I just –“</p><p>“Wait. Did you say <em>Malfoy?</em>” Sirius interrupted, looking a little confused. Harry nodded. “The only Malfoy your age is Narcissa’s boy, but he was studying in France, last I heard”.</p><p>“He transferred from Beauxbatons this year” Harry said “How do you know him?” he asked, confused. Sirius never mentioned knowing the Malfoy’s before. Actually, whenever James would ever mention them (usually something about their interference in the Ministry), Sirius was quick to show despise for the whole family.</p><p>“Well, I guess he’s my cousin” Sirius said, simply.</p><p>“What?!” Harry gasped “How?!”</p><p>“His mother is a Black, and she was my cousin” he shrugged “We were actually quite close when we were kids, but she has always been a good pureblood through and through. She sent me a couple letters a few years after the War ended, actually”.</p><p>“What did she want?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Never opened them”. Sirius ran a hand through his hair.</p><p>Harry thought about what he just heard. The Blacks had kicked Sirius out when he was still studying at Hogwarts, so he ended up moving in with James's family. Associating the Blacks with the Malfoys...that made Harry despise the family even more. He tried to remember the woman that was with Draco the first time he saw him, but couldn’t quite recall her face. Right now though, looking at Sirius, he could maybe see a little resemblance with the Malfoy heir – piercing eyes, straight jawline, maybe even the way they walked? He wondered if Draco’s Mom also shared those traits.</p><p>“I think you two look alike, a little bit” Harry confided.</p><p>“Really?” Sirius was brought back from his own thoughts on the matter “He is good looking then" he wiggled his eyebrows. Harry just huffed.</p><p>"What is his name?” Sirius added.</p><p>“Draco” Harry told him.</p><p>“Hum” Sirius hummed “They kept the Black tradition”.</p><p>“What tradition?”</p><p>“Giving names after constellations”</p><p>“Oh” Harry said, looking up at the sky, that was darkening quickly. He wondered where Draco’s constellation was, and if it was close to Sirius’s.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>               </p><p>“Hermione Granger just cornered me” Draco told Pansy and Blaise, while launching himself over Pansy’s bed, in the girls empty dormitory “I’ll have to meet her tomorrow in the library” he whined, throwing one arm over his face, to cover his eyes and add a visual cue to his despair.</p><p>“I don’t know what you were thinking when you said you would help her study” Blaise contributed, sitting at Pansy’s desk, skimming a muggle literature book “That girl is menace”.</p><p>“I know” Draco said “But at the time I didn’t know Potter was such a dimwit. I wanted to get close” he murmured, embarrassed. He crawled closer to where Pansy was sitting, with her back on the headboard, and put his head in her lap.</p><p>“Then just call it off” Pansy huffed when Draco bugged her for head scratches. She always made a scene of rolling her eyes and looking exasperated, but she always gave in. “It’s not like she needs a tutor, and you’re not that great of a teacher”.</p><p>“But I’m too <em>scared</em> of her” Draco cried. And it was true – the girl seemed vicious. Draco had just started to explain the dept of her evilness when, with a nearly soundless <em>apparition</em>, Genevieve was suddenly sat on his chest.</p><p>Pansy jumped and squealed, kicking Draco’s back. “Ouch!” he huffed, before turning, annoyed at the gray cat.</p><p>“Oh, how nice to finally see you. Not following dear <em>Harry</em> around today?” he spoke with narrowed eyes. Genevieve just meowed.</p><p>“It was a impressive dive he did today” Blaise offered, distractedly.</p><p>“Not you too!” Draco sat up, making Genevieve fall of his chest.</p><p>“Oh stop it, you big baby” Pansy got up from the bed “Now, make yourself useful and teach us that bloody spell already”. She pulled Blaise up from her desk too.</p><p>After Draco showed them his <em>Patronus </em>a few days ago, Blaise and Pansy had been enthusiastic about learning it. They were aware that it was a tough spell, but were up for the challenge anyway. Surprisingly, both of them could already produce a silver mist, which was no small feat. Draco was satisfied about it, he knew he would never have dweebs for his best friends.</p><p>For the rest of the night, they practiced spells and studied. Pansy showed them some accessories she received by owl that day, and proceeded to add animated spells to them - Draco brought her a pair of his socks, and she made little blue stitched dragons fly around on them. Blaise gushed to them about the new book he was reading, and also showed them a plant he had stolen from the Herbology greenhouse. Draco listened intently while petting Genevieve, who was purring ferociously. When Draco went to bed, he was satisfied with his day.</p><p>That's why he was surprised to wake up with a jolt, sweaty and breathless, in the middle of the night. Genevieve was in his bed, already awake and looking as uneasy as he felt. Draco got up and paced a little bit, before deciding to meditate and access the weird feeling that woke him up a little bit better. The cat matched her breathing with him, and Draco felt himself grow calm alongside her.</p><p>With concentration, Draco just felt a unspecific rush of agitated magic, he couldn't pin down where it came from or where it was going. The vibration was too faint for him to determine if it was Dark. Another peculiar thing was that he could also feel some emotion emanating from it... Joy? Maybe.</p><p>Draco was thinking if it was something worth reporting to Trelawney, when he accidentally focused on her. It caught his attention because what he felt wasn’t her regular steady flow of energy – but a anxious indistinct ripple that was fragmenting and putting itself together. It was frightening, and before he had time to reconsider, he touched Genevieve's back firmly. The cat <em>apparated</em> instantly, dropping them in his professor’s private quarters.</p><p>Sybill was convulsing in bed, and Draco ran to her, grabbing her shoulders and yelling her name. He was about to put his new <em>patronus</em> to use and call Madam Pomfrey when Trelawney became very still and her eyes opened, looking white and empty. Without looking at Draco, the woman spoke with a monotone voice.</p><p>“It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant had been chained and tonight he set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant’s aid, greater and more terrible than he ever was. Tonight... the Servant... to rejoin... his master...”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>FYI: the prophecy is almost the same one from canon.</p><p>Do you like the story so far? Love to hear your thoughts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter turned out a lot more gloomy than I expected, but hopefully I can make the next one more fun<br/>Anyways, hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco squirmed in his seat in the headmaster’s office, looking around at the weird pilled up artifacts, and trying to organize that night's events in his head.</p><p>After Trelawney passed out, Draco was stunned to silence. He wasn’t stupid – he knew that she had just uttered a prophecy. Not only was his Professor known for being prophetic, but Draco had felt the power behind her words - they felt inevitable.</p><p>What he did next was automatic, really. He summoned a parchment and his modified Quick-Quotes Quill (that actually wrote everything verbatim) from his room and repeated the prophecy perfectly while he still remembered it. He added a description of the nights events too, as fast as he could.</p><p>As soon as the boy finished rolling up the parchment, Genevieve snatched it from his hands, safely trapping it in her mouth. She spared a second of reassuring eye contact before <em>disapparating</em> away, to take the prophecy to his parents. He usually would never expect her to go such a long distance for just a letter, but she understood that the situation was out of the ordinary.</p><p>The prophecy was about Peter Pettigrew – that was just obvious – and although his parents never seemed particularly worried about the rogue convict, the man was not the interesting part of the prediction. No, no, Peter Pettigrew was absolutely <em>not </em>the reason Draco had his hands shaking – that honor was all given to the “Dark Lord” part, <em>especially </em>to the “will rise again” bit.</p><p>Draco was still shivering when he started to mutter energy and restoration spells to wake Trelawney up. He had left his wand in the dormitory, but that never stopped him before.  </p><p>When his professor woke up, he gave her water and explained everything that happened. She looked as spent as he felt. Since Trelawney wasn’t really up to discussing the whole ordeal with him, they sat in silence waiting for Draco’s parents response - Draco could feel that Genevieve had already delivered the message.</p><p>Twenty minutes later his cat appeared back in his lap, curling into herself and falling asleep just after spitting a parchment on the floor. In it, Draco could recognize his mother’s pristine handwriting, curled and fluid, much similar to his. One might expect that under the rushed circumstances she would have sacrificed the neatness of the writing, but Draco knew his mom, and one thing Narcissa has is control and class.</p><p>The overall content of the letter, however, was vague. It was advised for Trelawney to reveal this information to whoever she saw fit – which Draco thought weird, but didn’t comment on it – and requested absolute discretion besides that. Since Draco would never go and reveal such important things to just anyone, he guessed that meant he shouldn’t say anything to Blaise and Pansy – a secrecy he could already feel weight down on his shoulders.</p><p>The letter also stated that there was no reason for alarm, because nothing would change overnight – that line helped calm Draco down a bit -, and finished with a request for patience regarding him specifically. It was wrote that there were vital things in play that he didn’t know about yet, but would be soon revealed over Christmas Break, so he should proceed with caution. Very ominous and - now that he felt level headed once again, he could admit – a tad dramatic. But he went with it.</p><p>After another subdued conversation, Draco left to the dungeons, with Genevieve on his arms. He soon got lost in thought, imagining what his parents might have kept from him, but it was probably stuff regarding Death Eaters and the War, and Draco always shimmied himself out of those conversations, because he never liked to think about the wrong things his parents did before him.</p><p>While in his way through the castle, Draco had to change his route to avoid Filch and his cat – with his regular magical sensitivity, he wouldn’t be able to sense the man approaching, since he was a squib, but Draco was on high alert tonight, so he noticed him trough his emotions instead. He was technically allowed to be out after curfew, but it would be a stretch to explain why he was leaving Trelawney’s privet quarters at two in the morning – and Draco didn’t need that type of scandal.</p><p>Genevieve was starting to tire his arms out when he finally got to one of the last flights of stairs, only for it to <em>move</em> when Draco was halfway through them. The boy heard about the Moving Stairs before, but he never saw it happen. Now, he was in one. After it finally steadied he was dropped off another twenty minutes away from the dungeons. <em>Great. </em>Why did he have to room in the coldest, most humid, lowest level, furthest away part of the castle? He was so busy muttering curses under his breath that he didn’t realize that he was walking past the entrance to the headmaster's office.</p><p>When the statue to his left spun open, Draco jumped up, only to pale right after. <em>Crap. </em>Maybe it’s just a coincidence, he thought, if he power walked really silently he could...</p><p>“Come on in Draco” he heard the serene voice of Albus Dumbledore call out to him. </p><p>Now, just like any other student in the same situation, Draco trembled a little and made an effort not to piss himself – however, <em>unlike</em> other students, Draco was a Malfoy, and that meant he wouldn’t be undignified. So, before he stepped onto to the stairs leading to the headmaster's office, he straightened his back, put on a blank expression, tightened the hold on his cat – that started to squirm back to consciousness due to Draco’s worried emotions – and made an effort to look as if nothing was wrong.</p><p>Now here Draco was, waiting for Albus Dumbledore to finish shuffling some parchments, trying not to sweat through his pijamas. He didn’t even have a robe on, how embarrassing.</p><p>“So, Draco, how lovely to see you at such a unconventional hour” the headmaster said, when he finished his work. His tone and demeanor were friendly, as if it was, indeed, lovely to find a student breaking curfew.</p><p>“I’m sorry headmaster, for the inconvenience, but Genevieve here was a little restless in the dorms, and I decided to accompany her in a stroll. I assure you it won’t happen again” Draco flashed a charming smile, that got him out of trouble many times before. He knew that Albus Dumbledore wouldn’t believe him, but maybe Draco could tire him out of prying. </p><p>“I see” Dumbledore’s eyes were twinkling under his half-moon shaped glasses, and Draco found the man’s emotions at the moment quite interesting. He was curious, but in a analytical type of way, like he was trying to assemble a difficult puzzle, and Draco was a hard to place piece. “Your Genevieve is a very special animal, indeed. You know, is very rare to see bonded Familiars nowadays” he pointed with his head towards the Phoenix in the other side of the office “Besides Fawkes here, I haven’t seen one in many years”.</p><p>Draco went along with the subject diversion and quickly processed that Dumbledore knew about Genevieve, although he never told anyone – besides his closest friends and Harry Potter, for some reason – but it wasn’t very difficult to figure out, if one only paid attention. He looked over at the bird, and tried to seem more surprised than he felt – even for a Phoenix, the animal had a very strong magical aura, that was intertwined to Dumbledore’s. Therefore, Draco had already known.</p><p>The headmaster hummed along while Draco raised his eyebrows at the bird, but again, didn’t seem very impressed with the boy’s feign surprise. “Professor Flitwick tells me you’re having great progress with your private lessons”.</p><p>“Well, he is a great professor, sir. I am very lucky to have his guidance” Draco was quickly growing tired of the conversation. It felt like they were playing a very calculated game, that Draco had no idea how to win. He kept himself polite and reserved as Dumbledore made seemingly random subject changes, some that looked like he was prying for information, others that indicated that the man had knowledge of things that should be secret, and some that were actually irrelevant and apparently meant to throw the boy off. Either way, Draco maintained his stance. After a while the headmaster started to feel a little frustrated, which the boy considered a win.</p><p>“Well, it was a pleasure talking to you, dear boy. I’ll keep a watch for the great things I’m sure you will accomplish” the old man smiled warmly, but Draco couldn’t help to see a warning in his words. The boy smiled sweetly and stood up to leave, glad that Dumbledore didn’t confront the fact of Draco being where he was in such a inappropriate time, and as he was about to thank the man for the conversation, he felt a very faint nudge on his <em>occlumency</em> shield.</p><p><em>This slimy old man, </em>Draco thought. Dumbledore was known to be a very powerful <em>legilimens</em>, but Draco never thought he would try to use the technique on a student.</p><p>In a split second, Draco lowered his shields so fast that the man wouldn’t even realize that they were there in the fist place, and pushed to the forefront of his mind deliberate thoughts of ignorance, about what a nice conversation he had, and how he shouldn’t have left the bed just to walk his cat. At the same time, without wavering, Draco wished the man a goodnight, providing plenty of eye contact for him to easily pry those staged wavering thoughts. Thankfully, Draco was trained well enough to manage such a feat - he would have to send a thank you note to his aunt for it.</p><p>Back at the corridor, while hurriedly making his way back to the dungeons, Draco thought that Albus Dumbledore was, indeed, a very dangerous man.</p><p>*************************</p><p>Ron Weasley was sighting loudly while Hermione opened multiple books and parchments and arranged them on the table.</p><p>“Shut up Ron! If you are going to stay here you need to not be dramatic about it! Harry is being annoying enough for the both of you” she had a point, but Ron was not going to admit it. Instead, he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, but stopped sighting all the same. He knew that she would kick him out if she got too bothered, especially since she had been waiting for weeks for this study session, and Ron was not about to let her spend time with Draco Malfoy by herself.</p><p>Is not like he thought that the boy has plotting the demise of the Wizarding World or whatever Harry was delirious about, but still, Ron just didn’t trust him. Was it because a lot of girls payed too much attention to him? Maybe. But he told himself that the other boy was also suspiciously good in class, and that whole distant attitude was strange.</p><p>Either way, Hermione had cornered the Slytherin and forcefully scheduled a study date for them, so here Ron was. Harry had refused to come, after throwing a temper tantrum about loyalty and whatnot – honestly, even Ron was tired of the whole rivalry/obsession that his best friend kept pushing.</p><p>After squirming in his seat enough to get a glare from Hermione, Ron picked up one of the books to see what they would be studying, and groaned when he saw charms.</p><p>“I see you’re excited for the learning experience” Ron jumped up with the unexpected voice, just to see Malfoy taking a seat in front of them. He didn’t have any books with him, only his very pale wand, that had multiple small runes engraved in it. The blonde boy flashed them a white teethed smile, that, to Ron’s dismay, made Hermione stutter in her greeting.</p><p>“So, what would you like to revise?” the Slytherin asked, leaning over the table to peak at their notes. Although the boy seemed nice and calm, Ron couldn’t help to think that he also looked a little stiff, as if he was calculating his movements.</p><p>“I was thinks we would look over some charms, is that ok?” Ron raised his brows over Hermione’s polite and subdued tone, she also was avoiding eye contact with Malfoy, not that the Slyterin noticed, as he had picked up one of the books and was skimming through it. “Are you guys having trouble with them?” he asked.</p><p>“Uhh, with some, yes” Hermione said.</p><p>“Oh stop it you’re doing great” Ron mumbled “<em>me </em>on the other hand...”</p><p>“Ron, that’s not true. My Cheering Charm was absolutely unsatisfactory and my body-binds are almost always noneffective” Hermione screeched, her voice going very high.</p><p>“Well at least yours end up <em>binding </em>the <em>body</em>! That’s more than what I can do”</p><p>“That’s just because you can’t accept constructive criticism!”</p><p>“Just because <em>you’re</em> making the critiques, it doesn’t mean they’re constructive, Hermione!”</p><p>Hermione’s face was all scrunched up while she opened her mouth to reply, and Ron almost recoiled in the eminence of her retaliation, when they both got distracted by some giggling coming from the other side of the table. They turned to see Malfoy using his hand to cover his mouth while he laughed.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry” he giggled again “but you guys are so funny. You remind me of my best friends from Beauxbatons, they were always at each others throats too”.</p><p>Hermione was blushing, Ron noted bitterly, but she quickly recovered and asked “Is Beauxbatons much different? I’ve always been curious about how other wizarding schools work, there are so few of them”</p><p>“Well, the curriculum was similar, but they focus more on Herbology, Potions and healing magic then in defense and offence spells. There’s also a lot more focus in inter-species relations than here. Britain is quite outdated in that aspect, I suppose. And when it comes to the school itself, let’s say that Beauxbatons isn’t as... rustic” he shrugged.</p><p>“What made you change to Hogwarts, then?” Ron asked, genuinely curious. Malfoy seem to consider the question for a while, before answering.</p><p>“I think the teachers, mostly. You have very powerful, knowledgeable wizards here. Besides, this is where both my parents studied, so I was curious”</p><p>Neither Ron nor Hermione were eager to approach the subject of Malfoy’s parents, so they redirected the conversation to the lesson. Ron was glad that Hermione insisted in coming to the great hall to study instead of the library, since, apparently, Malfoy took a more practical approach to the spells. After pestering them with weird directions about intent and state of mind, Ron was actually able to reproduce all the spells he was having trouble with, and Hermione was also happily babbling about how she never though about doing things that way.</p><p>Overall, Ron was pleasantly surprised. Malfoy ignored the theory in the books, making them think about what the wand movements meant and the process of how the spell is suppose to act – Ron wondered if that was the teaching method in France.</p><p>Malfoy himself was also surprising. Yes, he had a posh accent and arrogant posture, he would sometimes make snide comments and use too much sarcasm – but he was funny too, in a over the top way. Still, Ron felt like the blond boy was holding back, but much less than before. When they parted ways, Ron was also much more relaxed about how threatening Malfoy really was – yes, Hermione blushed and stuttered a few times, but with much less frequency as time went on; and the other boy seemed unfazed, not giving her any extra attention or inappropriate interest, which helped Ron like the boy much more.</p><p>“That did you think?” Hermione asked him, when they where making their way back to the Gryffindor tower.</p><p>“It was pretty good” Ron responded honestly.</p><p>“But, well, don’t you find it weird? The way he talked about the spells?”</p><p>“Weird how?” Ron looked at his friend, who seemed to be really considering the subject.</p><p>“I don’t know. The way he had such a intuitive approach to magic. I never heard anyone talk about it that way before”</p><p>“Uh oh, don’t go all Harry on me now” Ron laughed, and nudged her with his elbow “That’s probably how they taught it in France. Don’t read that much into it, or soon enough you too will be coming up with conspiracy theories about the Malfoy’s controlling the Minister”</p><p>“Shut up” Hermione laughed a little too, blushing “But you’re probably right, I haven’t thought of that” she said, before going into her disciplinary tone and adding “and stop bringing up the Minister thing, he said it when he was angry and you keep making him feel embarrassed”</p><p>Ron just rolled his eyes, knowing he would absolutely keep bringing it up.</p><p>************************</p><p>James Potter punched the tree beside him, so hard that leaves fell around him and his knuckles got bloody. He was so angry that the men around him didn’t dare to utter a word, and just waited on what to do next.</p><p>But there was nothing to do next. It was a false lead, just like all the others before this one.</p><p>He took a deep breath and dismissed his team, composed of three hand selected <em>A</em><em>urors</em> and one <em>cursebreaker</em>, before <em>disapparating</em> back to the Ministry. It was already over one in the morning, but James didn’t want to bring all the dirt and sweat in his clothes back to his house, so he decided to shower in the Auror Department.</p><p>And maybe he was also trying to avoid Sirius’s encouraging words, always ready to motivate him after one failed operation. But this was the seventh time James went on a rampage after a false piece of information regarding Peter Pettigrew. Merlin, how James hated Peter.</p><p>Ever since the man’s escape from Azkaban, James would wake up screaming from nightmares featuring Lily’s lifeless body laying on the ground. Not even the warm tea that Sirius would prepare for him after he got up was enough to put him back to sleep. Actually, lately the tea would only make it harder, making the desperation in the pit of his stomach mix up with guilt, the ever present guilt.</p><p>With that guilt in mind, James got in his car and headed home. It was a flying car, courtesy of Arthur Weasley. Since James now lived in the Potter State, in the outside of London, he had to take precautions to appear muggle, to blend with the neighborhood, and that included leaving and arriving from work by car – what the car did in between destinations wasn’t anyone's business.</p><p>James landed the vehicle in a empty dirt road close to his suburb, and made his way slowly to the large four story state that was his childhood home. The gates opened for him and he parked in the large garage that also kept Sirius’s motorbike.</p><p>He let out a deep breath and sunk into his seat, running a hand through his unkept hair. The failure of the night still loomed over him. He thought about his childhood memories of Pettigrew, how the man always seemed weak and incapable of executing even a mildly difficult spell – he cursed his memories. He wouldn’t underestimate that traitor again. He would never let his children have the same fate of his wife.</p><p>James picked up his bag from the back seat and made his way inside the large house. When he entered the living room, his childhood best friend was sitting on the couch, and looked up apprehensively at James, with wide eyes and careful expression. James shrugged, dropping his bag on the floor. Suddenly his throat felt tight, and he wasn’t sure he could utter a single word.</p><p>Sirius didn’t need his words though, he never did. He got up and closer to James, opening his arms, offering comfort. James considered refusing, thinking about the guilt that was already way too heavy in his stomach. But he was never good in refusing Sirius, so he accepted the hug, just like he accepted the guilt, and also accepted all the tears he had been holding back, letting them overflow.</p><p>*****************************</p><p>It was the last week before Christmas break, and Harry was ready to go home. He loved Hogwarts, he really did, but he just wanted to get away for a while.</p><p>His Quidditch practice had ended a hour ago, but he wasn’t tired enough, so he stayed to try a few riskier maneuvers and fly after the snitch by himself. Now, he was spent and drenched in sweat, ready to take a warm shower and fall on his bed. But, of couse, he wouldn’t be so lucky.</p><p>Ron and Hermione were close to the castle, Harry saw they arriving after practice ended, probably looking for him. He had let them know he would stay on the air for a little longer, so his friends decided to wait. Now they weren’t alone, though.</p><p>A tall, lean, platinum blonde and grey eyed boy was talking to them, bearing a charming smile and twirling his wand carelessly in his fingers. Harry got off his broom and felt irritation bubble in his stomach. It all got worse when the Slytherin boy met Harry’s eyes from a distance, and his smile disappeared from his face in a second, being replaced by cold indifference and boredom. Harry sped his pace, stomping his feet.</p><p>At this point Ron and Hermione noticed his approach, waved their hands and greeted him, but Harry didn’t listen. He kept his pace towards the trio and passed through them, bumping his shoulder strongly with Malfoy in the process, making the skinnier boy stumble back.</p><p>He heard a chorus of “Harry!” and “Mate!” from Ron and Hermione as he went, but that didn’t make him stop, he didn’t want to talk with any of them in the moment. He felt betrayed. They knew how Harry felt about Malfoy and still insisted in playing besties with the slytherin, as if there weren’t hundreds of other students in the school they could hang out with, they <em>needed </em>it to be Malfoy. Harry was fuming, he was about to enter the castle when a teasing voice made him turn around “Excuse you Potter. What got your knickers in a twist?” Malfoy looked unbothered, a teasing smirk tainting his otherwise emotionless face.</p><p>“You’re so full of shit Malfoy” Harry started, his anger getting the best of him once again “You think you’re so great, walking through the hallways as if you own the school, as if you’re better than everyone” he started making his way back to where he came from, but Ron and Hermione had warning looks in their faces, which made Harry falter in his step, as well as upsetting him even more – it was like they wanted to protect Malfoy from Harry. That only made Harry more irrational. He redirected his gaze from his friends to Malfoy, who wan’t smirking anymore, but still didn’t look disturbed at all. Didn't Ron and Hermione understand it yet? Draco was from a filthy family that supported the man who ordered his mom's death. He was from the family that had kicked his Godfather to the streets. He was suspiciously powerful, probably trained in Dark Magic. He was selected into a House built in prejudice. He lurked around in the halls after curfew - and was never caught - and his cat always followed Harry around. And now he was squirming his way into a friendship with <em>Harry's</em> best friends? Harry would not stand for that. He would put Malfoy back in his place.</p><p>“You’re just a manipulative asshole. You’re not great, not better than anyone else, nothing special, really” Harry felt ecstatic when Malfoy’s blank expression faltered for a second, so he continued, trying to insert as much poison in his words as possible “A spoiled kid with racist parents, thinking he's important. You want to look so mighty, but I see you Malfoy, and you don't fool me. Stop acting so proud when you should be ashamed of who you are".</p><p>Malfoy’s expression was serious, but Ron’s was angry and Hermione’s was sad. Harry turned around to leave, once again. And once again, a posh accent stopped him “Poor Golden boy, are you feeling threatened? That’s why you’re dumping your insecurities all over the place?” the tone was mocking but his words were rushed - however, Harry barely registered any of this, and before Malfoy finished talking Harry already had his wand out and was sending a very strong stinging hex towards him.</p><p>Hermione gasped but her worries were unfunded, because Malfoy just raised his empty hand and deflected the spell wordlessly. He at least looked a little alarmed. Harry felt embarrassed by his friends reproving and impressed expressions, so he turned and left, this time for real.</p><p>Harry stumbled through the corridors, with no destination, he just knew he wanted to be alone. He heard people saying “Hi” or asking if something was wrong, but he just walked right past them, not seeing their faces. He ended up in a empty hallway, in a part of the castle he’d never been to before.</p><p>He paced back and forth for a while, taking shaky breaths, trying to calm himself down. He didn’t even know why he was so worked up over Draco bloody Malfoy. It was like that damn boy just knew which buttons to press to piss Harry off, without even trying.</p><p>And no one could see that there was something wrong with the boy. Even Harry’s friends were now defending him. They greeted each other and sometimes stopped to talk and laugh. Harry hated it. When Harry thought about how <em>his </em>best friends were ready to step up and defend <em>Malfoy</em>... Harry punched the wall beside him, the pain exploding in his hand and coursing though his arm.</p><p>He leaned his back against the wall and slid to floor with closed eyes, cradling his hand, that was slowly bleeding from his knuckles. <em>I’m so fucking stupid</em>, he thought. He was blowing everything out of proportion, wasn’t he? Harry didn’t know anymore.</p><p>“Confusion is a part of life” a soft voice spoke before him. Harry open his eyes quickly, to find a tall translucent figure looming above the ground “However, it is important to try and find the answers to what matters to us”.</p><p>It was Ravenclaw’s ghost, Harry realized, a young woman with long dark hair and a old-fashioned dress. She had a kind expression on her face while looking down at the boy.</p><p>“My name’s Harry” he introduced himself, not knowing what to say.</p><p>“Hello Harry, I’m Helena” she smiled at him “Are you lost?”</p><p>“Hum, I don’t know” Harry looked around “I’m close to Ravenclaw’s Tower, I think, so I can find my way back”</p><p>“That’s good” smiled again, and turned to continue to make her way though the castle, but Harry scrambled to his feet “Wait” he asked.</p><p>“Yes?” she turned to him once again.</p><p>“What were you saying? You know... before? I didn’t quite catch that” he ran his hand through his hair, feeling stupid for asking, and even more stupid when he winced in pain for trying to use his hurt hand. But the Grey Lady just smiled.</p><p>“I was saying, dear Harry, that in life, not everything comes easily. Sometimes you will have to struggle to find, or ever realize, what is important to you”</p><p>After she left, Harry felt like he had even more questions than before.</p><p>*************************</p><p>“I’m sorry Draco, are you ok?” Hermione asked, her voice filled with concern.</p><p>“Oh, yes, don’t worry about me” Draco gave Ron and Hermione one of his special shiny smiles, to make sure they wouldn’t get worked up over it.</p><p>“I didn’t think he would actually try to hex you!” she added, Ron nodding along to her words “Yes mate” he contributed “I don’t know what has gotten into him!”. </p><p>Draco knew that they would like to keep discussing the matter even further, but he didn’t feel like having this conversation, so he shrugged dismissively and said “Well, it was nice talking to you children, but if you would excuse me, I have some other matters to attend - world domination and whatnot” without waiting for a goodbye, he started making his way back to the castle, but before he was inside, he turned to tell them, while walking backwards “And please, do put your friend on a leash next time!”.</p><p>However, Draco didn’t really have other matters to attend, he actually had nothing to do. That’s why he was strolling through the castle before, looking for someone to talk to – since his friends were doing some important charms essay and had kicked him out of their rooms – or some activity to take part on. He had been glad to find Ron and Hermione outside of the castle, well, at least until Potter came along. Now Draco was sitting in the alcove of some random tower, sulking away.</p><p>He couldn’t stop replaying Potter’s words in his head. They hurt, Draco had to admit.</p><p>Draco was a very powerful wizard – he knew that. He mastered defensive and offensive spells that even trained <em>aurors</em> had difficulty casting. His charms work was impeccable, so much so that his professor had difficulty overpowering him. He was a trained <em>occlumens</em> and <em>legilimens</em>. He literally could feel the flow of magic round him - for Morgana’s sake! Nonetheless, Draco’s skin wasn’t very thick – he was mature enough to admit that. And that stupid Gryffindor had hit a sensitive spot, the spot that always questioned why Draco’s parents had such high expectations for him, how reformed were his parents - it always hurt to think of the War, his family's part on it - that Draco was actually inferior to everyone, and everything he thought made him stronger, would be his demise. Merlin, he was so boring in his depressions. </p><p>Draco was so lost in his own thoughts that didn’t notice the silent tears that had streamed down his face. He did know, however, that someone was approaching him. He could feel the magic of the other few students that walked on the corridor besides him, and had noticed the one that stopped, and started making it's up the stairs to the alcove Draco was sitting on. The Slytherin turned to see who was going up to him, and it was a handsome boy he didn’t know, but looked familiar, and seemed a little apprehensive.</p><p>“Hello, are you ok?” the boy had a soft voice, and ran a hand through his brown curls as he spoke. Only then Draco noticed his own face was cold with tears, and felt a little silly.</p><p>“Hum, yes, I’m ok” Draco used his sleeve to dry his cheeks “Just being over dramatic” he rolled his eyes and smiled a little. Draco knew that he was being more open than usual, be he was tired, and the other boy was wearing a Hufflepuff scarf, so he wasn’t that worried about it.</p><p>“Are you sure? I can get someone for you, if you’d like” the boy asked again. He was older than Draco, taller and with broader shoulders. Draco now recalled seeing him outside of school too, maybe in one of those excessive Galas his family frequented before, but still didn’t remember his name.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure” Draco said “I’m Draco, by the way”</p><p>“I know” the boy smiled warmly, and got a rosy tinge in his cheeks “I’m Cedric”</p><p>Draco slapped himself in the forehead “Of course! Cedric Diggory! I know who you are! You’re Hufflepuff’s <em>it </em>student” Draco fanned himself dramatically, hoping his theatrics would amuse the other boy, instead of weirding him out. Cedric burst in laughter, so Draco was in luck.</p><p>“Well then, from Hufflepuff’s ‘It student’” Cedric made air quotations and rolled his eyes “is nice to meet the <em>Slyterin's prince” </em>he smiled teasingly.</p><p>Draco scrunched up his face in distaste of the name, making Cedric laugh once again, but still responded with a awkward reverence he did while still sitting in the alcove and said “Well, it’s your pleasure”</p><p>Cedric got closer to the window and signaled the other side of the alcove, that was pretty big “May I?”</p><p>“Sure” Draco nodded, and watched Cedric sit with crossed legs and look over the view of the Great Lake.</p><p>It was Cedric that eventually broke the silence “Do you need to talk about it?”</p><p><em>Merlin, </em>Draco rolled his eyes, <em>H</em><em>ufflepuffs really do live up to the hype, don’t they? </em>“Talk about what?” he said, innocently, bating his eyelashes to the other boy, who just gave Draco a flat look.</p><p>“You Slytherins act like everyone is plotting to discover and sell your secrets” he mumbled.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry” Draco feigned concern, putting a hand on Cedrics shoulder worriedly “Want to sit in front of a fire a sing some songs about it?”  </p><p>“Touché” the Hufflepuff laughed, pushing Draco’s hand away.</p><p>After that, the boys kept talking for what felt like hours, laughing and teasing each other, making Draco forget that he was ever sad. Close to dinner time, Cedric insisted in walking Draco to his common room – that he already knew that was in the dungeons, somehow – and before they parted ways, he touched Draco’s hand, making the Slytherin feel positively giddy. After that, Draco may or may not have stolen glances of the Hufflepuff table during dinner.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>- I am very sorry, but I'm not from the UK and don't know how to make this very cohesive, as it happens there in the 90's. If you see something wrong, let me know and I'll try to make it better!!<br/>- edit: I altered the scene where Harry confronts Draco, to justify Harry's attitude a little bit better (I hope it was effective!)</p><p>Thank you for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: mentions of homophobia and homophobic slurs</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“They’re here!!!”</p><p>Harry rolled his eyes before going downstairs to the living room, where his Dad was throwing around last minute concealment charms, trying to make the house as muggle-looking as possible. Tessa was just lounging on the couch, reading a magazine, and Sirius scolded her to get up already.</p><p>The house elfs had deep cleaned the house and put up cheery Christmas decorations, and were now hiding. The family was wearing their fancy muggle clothes – the boys had flat-fronts and formal shirts; Tessa, a flowery dress – Sirius and Tessa had their hair neatly styled, trying to overcompensate for Harry and James’s untamable mess.</p><p>“Ok they’re coming up!” James said after peaking out the window, and urged everyone to stand up in a row, ready to meet their guests. This was something they did every year the week before Christmas, but it was chaotic all the same. James gave everyone warning glances before leaving the room to open the door and greet the visitors.</p><p>And soon enough, stomping into the living room of the Potter State, were the Dursleys.</p><p>Vernon, Petunia and their son Dudley were the only remaining relatives on Lily’s side of the family, and after her death, James made a point of keeping in touch - and that included a yearly dinner around the winter holidays.</p><p>They were very reluctant at first, but James always put in a lot of effort into making the experience as ordinary as possible for them, and now they were fairly acceptable of magic. They even enjoyed the visits a little, Harry suspected, as once Dudley confided that his parents always bragged about their rich relatives.</p><p>Now, Petunia fawned over Harry and Tessa, pulling on their hair and cheeks, and brushing off invisible dust off their clothes “Look how big you both have gotten! They’re feeding you all too well in that mysterious school of yours!”. Vernon spoke with Sirius about what’s new in the economy, well, he spoke <em>to </em>Sirius about it, since Harry’s godfather had no idea about what the muggle was mumbling about. And Dudley was squirming under James’s questions about school and those other things uncles tend to ask.</p><p>Soon enough, they were all sitting around the fireplace, catching up before dinner - Harry noticed years ago how much his aunt and uncle loved to talk, mostly about boring subjects. They were bragging about a promotion Vernon got at work, then about a vacation to Majorca they were planning for the next month, about their car, how Dudley was doing at school and his new diet, they mentioned their neighborhood's new gossip, and even about Petunia’s new book-club. Honestly, Harry was about to snore right then and there. He looked over at Dudley, who was looking at the wall with no expression on his face – the poor boy was desensitized. James seemed to actually be paying attention to what they were saying - he always put extra effort to welcome them – but Harry noticed that he would occasionally send, very discreetly and wandlessly, light stinging hexes towards Sirius, who every now and then blinked for a little too long. Tessa was squirming, and gave Harry a look of pure agony, to which he was very sympathetic.</p><p>Ages later, at least that's what it felt for Harry, it was time for dinner – which with was always entertaining with his mother’s side of the family. “Are you planing a new work trip soon Sirius?” Petunia asked, after some light conversation. The Dursleys weren’t as respectable to Sirius as they were to the rest of the family, because he was a freelancer, and never showed a interest in settling down with anyone. Once, Vernon and Petunia even sat down with James, trying to convince him that Sirius was a bad influence on his kids, and was taking advantage of his hospitality – it was one of the few times James got angry at them. But after scolding them about how Sirius was one of the main reasons he was able to get his life back together after Lily’s murder, since the man basically gave up on all of his own projects to attend to Harry and Tessa – while at that time the Dursleys were still ignoring James -, they never brought up the subject again.</p><p>“Not really Petunia. I’ve gotten a few offers, but I think I might stay here for a little while longer. I think it will be a nice change of pace” he smiled. At the end of the table, Harry and Tessa exchanged excited looks. They <em>really </em>missed having Sirius around.</p><p>“Oh, I haven’t even asked about how you too have been doing at school! Good grades, I expect?” Harry’s aunt asked. Her smile was only a little strained – Hogwarts was one of the other things her and her husband fought with James about. It was difficult for them to understand wizarding culture, and the importance of a wizarding education. They still barely had a grasp on it, but through the course of many years, anger and disgust turned into mild disapproval and even a little bit of interest. Dudley, most of all, seemed fascinated with magic, only paying attention to the conversation when it was brought up.</p><p>“I’m doing better than Harry in the grades department” was Tessa’s amazing contribution, which earned her a kick in the shin. “I've been doing really good on the Quidditch Team, really saved us last game” Harry gave the adults a wide smile, and they promptly changed the topic of conversation, knowing that none of them were ready to have the “what is Quidditch” discussion.</p><p>Harry turned to finish his pie, but made eye contact with Dudley in the process, who wordlessly, and with a charged look, reminded Harry that he had already received the “what is Quidditch” discussion before, and was <em>ready</em> for more details.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>The next day was a misty one, especially for the middle of the afternoon, but Harry accepted the offer for a football game anyway. He felt specially urged to get out of the house when Tessa welcomed a bunch of giggling girls in. Luckily, he could always find a refuge in the other side of the street.</p><p>Harry spun around, dribbling the ball from one foot to the other, managing to get around Daniel, before kicking for the goal, and scoring. He laughed as his friends just grumbled to themselves.</p><p>They’ve been playing soccer in Oliver’s backyard for about one hour. And since there was only three of them, it was really Daniel and Harry competing for the ball while Oliver attended the goal. The boys were having fun, but since the cold air wasn’t forgiving, they decided to go back to the house.</p><p>Daniel and Oliver were Harry’s neighbors, and they were muggles. Harry had no problems blending in with muggles because he had a lot of experience being around them. Harry’s mum was muggleborn, and since she wasn’t around anymore, his dad wanted him and Tessa to experience the muggle world as much as they could, so they’d stay connected with her. Because of that, they grew up in a muggle neighborhood, with muggle friends, went to a muggle school, kept contact with the muggle side of the family, and visited muggle cities.</p><p>Daniel and Oliver were the only reason why Harry was ever sad to go to Hogwarts, but he managed with the winter visits and summer vacation, and his friends were satisfied with teasing Harry about his posh private school and posh friends. Not that they didn't go to a posh school and weren't posh themselves - just look at their neighborhood. But the dynamic worked either way.</p><p>Now, they were all slumped in Oliver’s room, looking over some of his miscellaneous comics while they chatted about their school, updating Harry on the gossip. As they got caught up on the absurdity of a past biology test, Harry disassociated, because is not like he had biology tests in Hogwarts.</p><p>“What do you think, Harry?”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>Oliver rolled his eyes before getting up from his bed and looking though a bundle of papers in one of his drawers. He came back with the said biology test and sat besides Harry, giving him the paper. Daniel scooted closer too, looking at the test in Harry’s lap.</p><p>“Look at this question” Daniel pointed at the one that was crossed over with red marker “If you, with all of those expert teachers and extra classes, can’t figure it out, it means we were totally justified” he said expectantly.</p><p><em>Oh no</em>. The cover-up for Harry going to Hogwarts was that it was a <em>fabulously</em>  well equipped and <em>very</em> exclusive institution that guaranteed top notch education and the <em>best</em> conditions and environment for learning. <em>Shite</em>. Harry cleared his throat and read the question, which was stupid, since he absolutely never studied that before. But they were expecting him to <em>not</em> know the answer, so, he just had to be convincing - it was fine, completely under control.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t know this either” he tried to sound casual and truthful. How does one sounds <em>truthful</em>? Merlin, he was a shitty liar. Harry held his breath.</p><p>“That’s what I’m saying!” Oliver agreed “I knew Mr. Brown just hated our class”. Harry, exhaled, relieved. But before Oliver could take the sheet of paper out of Harry’s hand to put it back in the drawer, Daniel held it in place, with a weird expression on his face.</p><p>“What is it?” Oliver asked.</p><p>“Just want to check something” Daniel mumbled, before turning the paper in Harry’s hand, and pointing at a short question at the bottom of the page “Do this one”.</p><p>Oliver started to object “Ahh come on, Daniel, that’s not even-“</p><p>“Shhh” Daniel interrupted him “Just let him do it”.</p><p>Harry’s stomach dropped as his two friends stared at him expectantly. He looked down at the possible answers, trying to find the right one, and he felt a embarrassed blush starting to creep up his cheeks. He tried not to panic – there were four possible answers, so he might just guess it right. He went with option B.</p><p>- aaaand it was the wrong answer, he could tell by their faces. Harry was now sweating while his friends were looking at each other with weird expressions.</p><p>“So I’m bad at biology. So what?” Harry tried to hide the desperation in his voice. It’s not like his friends were going to guess that Harry was a <em>wizard</em> that went to a wizarding school with a wizarding curriculum. They were just going to think that Harry was <em>really</em> dumb – and that also bothered him, but he didn’t have a lot of options to work with. “I’m a bad student” he said it again, now mustering his embarrassed face, which was very easy because he was embarrassed “No need to rub it in my face”.</p><p>“You’re not a bad student, though” Oliver said.</p><p>“And this is very basic knowledge for the subject” Daniel added.</p><p>“And your school is supposed to be, like, <em>very good</em>” Oliver finished.</p><p>Harry huffed. Why did he have to have smart friends? Who noticed things? “You guys are overreacting”. They still looked doubtful. “Really, I probably just forgot about it. Can we drop the subject?”</p><p>Eventually, they did drop it, but Harry was still on edge. It was not the first time that his friends thought something was wrong in regards to Harry. At this point, it’s surprising how they still treated him pretty normally. Harry remembered all the times his friends found some “weird object” in Harry’s house that someone forgot to conceal, or when Harry would babble about something he forgot didn’t exist in the muggle world, or when they questioned why he had a pet owl. Not even mentioning all the magic flares he had growing up, that he hoped they had forgotten about, but sometimes felt like they remembered all to well.</p><p>The International Statue of Secrecy really was a bitch.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>There was no time like Christmas time – for Harry, at least. Enchanted snowflakes were falling from the ceiling, the whole house smelled like gingerbread and colored candles floated around aimlessly. He felt warm and fuzzy and content.</p><p>On his way to get a refil of hot chocolate, he got intercepted by Sirius, who wrapped a arm round his shoulders and brought him into a conversation he was having with Hagrid, about a animal that Harry didn’t even want to comprehend.</p><p>Around the house, there were other parallel conversations taking place, adding to the happy, welcoming atmosphere. Professor McGonagall was catching up with Andromeda and Ted Tonks - Sirius’s relatives - while their daughter, Nymphadora was in the other side of the room, talking with Remus excitedly and making him blush. Hermione and her parents were also there, after James’s insistence. Mr. and Ms. Granger were talking to Augusta Longbottom, who seemed content in explaining some wizarding history to them. Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff in their year, was also there with her parents and younger brother, who was the same age as Tessa. Mr. and Ms. Abbott were both Aurors who were close friends and worked with James, and had lost the rest of their family to the war, so it was customary for them to be invited to the Christmas Feast.</p><p>After disentangling himself from Hagrid’s conversation, Harry went back to sitting in front of the fireplace with his friends. Tessa was flailing her arms around while telling a very <em>inaccurate</em> story of a time Harry got stuck on his broom 20ft in the air directly above their house. Hermione and Hannah were laughing alongside Hannah’s younger brother, Louis.</p><p><em>“</em>He was there for three hours!” Tessa screeched “Dad had to use a locating spell to find him!”</p><p>Harry sat down on the floor besides his sister and grabbed her head to close her mouth forcefully “Ok, ok... It was not that big of a deal” he explained. But Tessa was surprisingly strong for her size and managed to get out of his hold and elbow him in the ribs. “Yes it was!” she was still laughing “You almost pissed yourself and your eyes were this big!” she used her fingers to push the skin of her face away from her eyes and managed to make a pretty disturbing image, that got the others to keep cackling at his expense. But no worries, Harry knew how to procede.</p><p>“Well, would anybody like to hear about that time Tessa had a acidental magic situation when we were in the <em>zoo</em>?” Harry asked, raising his eyebrows at her. She stopped laughing and her mouth fell open “You wouldn’t dare”.</p><p>“Try me” he smirked.</p><p>They had a short staring contest but soon enough she caved and offered her hand in a truce. Harry shook on it and they moved on with the conversation without exposing more of their childhood ‘events’. After a while Hermione pointed to the other side of the room, were Augusta Longbottom was still chatting the ears off of her parents “Who is that?” she asked. The girl had been excited to spend Christmas with Harry’s family, it was the first time she would be visiting a wizarding household, and had demanded a full tour upon arrival, asking waay too many questions that Harry barely knew how to respond, and almost had to be dragged away from the house elfs. She had been a little surprised when Hagrid arrived, spluttered as Remus came though, and completely inarticulate in the sight of McGonagall – “I didn’t know there would be <em>teachers</em> here” she had said, with a face red as a tomato. But after a while she had recovered, and now was curious about the other guests.</p><p>“That’s Augusta Longbottom” Harry explained “Her son and his wife were Aurors and friends with Dad. They were hurt during the War, so now they have to live in St. Mungos, their minds... they were never the same” Hermione’s face was tinged with horror “They had a son, but he was killed – he would be about our age, now”. Harry didn’t want to add that he was almost killed for the same reasons as their son was. He didn’t know if Hermione had read about all those kids that died because they were born in July, but now it wasn’t the time for that conversation, especially since he would have to get into how he survived, and his Mom, and...</p><p>“Yeah, the War sucked” Tessa declared, pulling Harry out of his internal turmoil. It took a while, but soon they were able to shake the gloomy atmosphere of the air and get back to their excited conversations.</p><p>After some time, James was ushering the people to the dining room, and Harry ate so much that he thought he might actually pass out. Everyone seemed pleased and excited, conversations flowing freely and laughter resonating in the room. After a couple hours, the adults were growing drunker and drunker - and that only made everything so much better. By the end of the night, Hagrid was snoring loudly in his seat and McGonagall and Augusta were arguing about Quidditch, rather enthusiastically. James, and Lupin were talking excitedly with Hannah’s and Hermione’s parents, while the house elfs tried to swiftly replace some of the half empty glasses of alcohol for water. Sirius was sharing tales of his last travel to a energetic Nymphadora and Ted, while Andromeda would occasionally shake her head disapprovingly. The evening reached an ending when the adults started to notice that the children were starting to fall asleep in their seats.</p><p>They said goodbye to Sirius’s relatives first, Dora ruffled Harry’s hair and promised to update him in her Auror exams soon, she also winked at Remus before stepping into the fireplace, leaving him positively red. James and Sirius made fun of him for it, before McGonagall recruited Remus to help her guide a mostly unconscious Hagrid back to Hogwarts. The Abbotts then said their goodbyes, followed by Augusta, whose tall and extravagant hat was lopsided in her head. Hermione’s family were the last ones to leave, through the front door, after having watched with wide eyes all the other guests being consumed by green flames.</p><p>James seemed content with the evening, like he did every year, and said his goodnights before picking Tessa up from where she was sleeping and carrying her up to her room, before going to his. Sirius ruffled Harry’s hair before leaving to his own room, and Harry soon followed suit. When he snuggled under his thick covers, he felt happy and tired, and in mere seconds he was already fast asleep.</p><p>When he woke up, it was about 3am. The ghost of the excessive amount of food he had forced down his throat during dinner came back to hunt him, and he felt the need to get up and walk it off. He put on his fluffy slippers and his red and gold robe - it would have been really weird if he weren't selected into Griffyndor -  and went down the stairs to the kitchen, meaning to get himself a big glass of water, maybe a mild potion, before trying to fall asleep once again. But when he got to the living room, he froze in his tracks after hearing voices from the kitchen. He stood in silence for a second before relaxing – he recognized the sound of Sirius and James talking.</p><p>Harry came up to the archway to see that it was, in fact, his father and godfather, that were laughing silently over glasses of wine. He could see James sitting in the isle with a hand holding his wine up and the other supporting his weight behind his back. Sirius was standing in front of him, slightly shaking with laughter as he recalled the funny events of the evening. He was gesticulating broadly with his wine hand, almost spilling everywhere, and the other hand was holding James’s tight for support.</p><p>Harry stayed silent, using the shadows of the living room to remain concealed. He enjoyed seeing his father laugh so carelessly, a sight he missed after the last months of compulsively worrying about Peter Pettigrew.</p><p>Already feeling much better after his little walk, Harry was about to make himself noticed and get his water, when his eyes almost popped out of his face.</p><p>Because, in front of him, Sirius cupped James’s cheek with his hand, reached down, and kissed him. In the mouth. With his own mouth. And James kissed back. And they smiled at each other when they pulled back. And continued talking, like nothing out of the ordinary happened. And Sirius was stroking James’s tight. Casually. And they kept laughing.</p><p>Harry was frozen in place. His heart beating out of his chest.</p><p>He pulled in a breath, as silently as possible, and forced himself to move back. He got out of the living room stepping as lightly as he could, then ran the rest of the way up to his room.</p><p>Maybe he hallucinated it.</p><p>He wanted to wake up Tessa and talk to her about it. He made it to the door of her room before he changed his mind and turned back to his own. He just didn’t know what to think, and his stomachache came back ten times harder, but he was absolutely <em>not </em>leaving his room to get a potion, or whatever.</p><p>He would never be able to look at his Dad and Sirius in the eyes again.</p><p>He didn’t <em>know</em> what he was feeling, but it wasn’t good. It took ages for Harry to fall back asleep.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>The next day, it was Tessa who shook him awake, urging him to go downstairs, so they could start opening the presents already. Harry followed her without complain.</p><p>The image that greeted him downstairs was one that he saw every Christmas - mugs of hot chocolate and cookies piled up in the table, the fireplace lit up, a bunch of presents under the large and colorful tree. His Dad, godfather and sister in their pajamas, with messed up bed hair and big smiles – it was familiar, but it wasn’t comfort that Harry felt. His cheeks burned when he remembered the night before, and he felt out of place, knowing something he shouldn’t know.</p><p>He tried to act as normal as possible, and it was easy, to just fall back in the happy family dynamic they had. Soon, he pretty much forgot that anything was wrong, because he was enjoying the morning so much. They all got plenty of sweets, some books, clothes, miscellaneous magical artifacts, suspicious magical artifacts, and even one sentient magical artifact – a typical Christmas morning.</p><p>Soon, when there were only a few presentes left, James nudged Harry with his elbow, and gave him a pointed look. Harry sighed, acknowledging his cue. He got a poorly wrapped, lanky gift from under the tree, and gave to Tessa. She just raised her eyebrows and looked from Harry to James, noticing the out of the ordinary exchange.</p><p>“Go ahead pup” Sirius encouraged her, and she tore through the packaging, and pulled out the fluid and transparent fabric. “What is this?” she asked, while inspecting the cloak closely.</p><p>“It’s a invisibility cloak!” James told her, picking it up from her hands and draping it over Harry, making him invisible, to demonstrate it. Tessa let out squeak and took it back from over her brother, “Morgana, this is awesome!”.</p><p>She moved across the room to go in front of a mirror, before going under the cape and disappearing from view, her giggles being the only indication of her location. Sirius and James were also laughing at her amusement, and turned hysterical when Harry began to be tackled and pushed around by his invisible sister, who he was defenseless from. It took a while before she finally settled and took out the cape.</p><p>“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she tackled Harry once again, who was still recovering from he previous violence, but hugged her back anyway. “It was Dad’s” he managed to explain, and she let him go to in favor of hugging James.</p><p>“Now, lets go over the rules of using this thing” James said, when he was free from her embrace “I only have this one, so you’ll have to share. Harry got it last year, and he got to use it by himself, so Tessa’s got dibs on it until next Christmas” he waited until they nodded in agreement, before continuing “Now, I’m not gonna pretend like I never used it for something I wasn’t suppose to, and I know my kids well enough to not have any illusions of perfect behavior. <em>However</em>, if the school contacts me even <em>once</em> about this cape, you’ll lose your privileges” he gave them a pointed look.</p><p>“So don’t get caught with it” Sirius added, with a toothy grin.</p><p>Tessa giggled and Harry gave a sheepish smile, thinking about the times he almost got caught with it.</p><p>“Aand, the last one's for Harry” Sirius said, after a while of opening more gifts, and pulled a long rectangle box from under the tree, barely concealing the excitement from his face. Harry opened the box to find a unmistakable broom shaped wrap inside it.</p><p>“No way” he gaped from Sirius to his father, both had big smiles.</p><p>“What is it” Tessa budged closer to look inside the box, gasping when she saw it “No way” she said – very original with her commentary, was his sister.</p><p>Once he recovered from the shock, Harry started tearing the wrapper rapidly, while looking up at his godfather and continuously repeating variations of “no you didn’t” and “it can’t be”. But lo and behold, there it was. A <em>Firebolt</em> – Harry felt like he was about to cry.</p><p>He he threw himself at Sirius’s opened arms, thanking him, and his godfather hugged him so tight he felt his lungs get squeezed inside of his chest.</p><p>“How come I didn’t get one” Tessa pouted behind him.</p><p>“You didn’t join the House Team” James responded automatically. Harry cackled at her frown, and picked up the broom once Sirius released him.</p><p>“Well, can I have your old Nimbus 2001?” Tessa asked him, being a prat.</p><p>Harry had gotten a Nimbus 2000 when he joined Griffyndor’s Quidditch team back in first year. When he kept his keeper position during second year, his Dad gave him the new model, so Harry gave Tessa his old 2000, since then he had been using the 2001.</p><p>“No” he answered, sweetly.</p><p>“What?! Whyy?” Tessa came after him, as he was leaving the living room so he could test his broom in the backyard. He could hear his Dad and Sirius coming after them.</p><p>“Because, you’re annoying” he said.</p><p>Tessa kicked his shins and was about to tackle him – <em>again </em>– when Harry mounted the broom and sped away. And the broom was just – <em>wow</em>.</p><p>There really was a reason as to why it was called a revolutionary model. So much speed, so much control, so much precision... He was feeling giddy.</p><p>Moments later, the rest of his family had mounted the brooms that were in the shed, and Harry was no longer alone in the air.</p><p>James let out a <em>snitch</em> so he and Harry could compete on a seekers game – not that there was much competition, at least, not with Harry on the Firebolt. </p><p>Sirius and Tessa usually played as beaters, so they were aiming bludgers at the two seekers - to spice up the game – and sometimes at each other – because Tessa was really prone to violence, apparently.</p><p>In the aftermath, Harry was sweaty and tired, his cheeks hurting from smiling so much. He was feeling light and happy, before he turned and saw James and Sirius smiling at one another, both flushed and sweaty. Ordinarily, it would be a normal occurrence, but the event of the night before - that Harry had pushed to the back of his mind - came back with force, and made him uncomfortable and irritated.</p><p>“I’m going to shower” he said to no one in particular, before putting his new broom in the shed, and heading back to the house.  </p><p> </p><p>++++++++</p><p> </p><p>The winter break runs on for close to two weeks, finishing in the New Year.</p><p>It was after the clock turned midnight, officially in 1994, when Harry was already tucked in his bed, that he decided to face, in his head, the whole “JamesxSirius Situation”.</p><p>He honestly considered letting it go by as 'internalized trauma', but he remembered all those times his sister called him <em>emotionally </em><em>constipated</em>, and wanted to prove her wrong. So, there it was. The <em>Situation</em>.</p><p>Firstly, adressing the elephant in his head – the didn’t <em>like</em> the Situation.</p><p>Tessa and Harry talked before about their father getting a girlfriend. The idea didn’t thrill them, but they understood that it would make their Dad happy, so they were willing to accept it. They told James they were fine with it, since they feared that the man was avoiding getting together with anyone because of them. But James just told them he appreciated the sentiment, and nothing changed.</p><p>Now, knowing that the 'girlfriend' was Harry’s Godfather...</p><p>How long had this been happening for? Were they ever planning to tell anyone? Were they doing it while Lily was alive?</p><p>It hurt Harry to think about this, but he couldn’t help it.</p><p>And the other thing was, going into the “secrecy” line of questioning was great at keeping Harry from the other path of questions...</p><p>Harry was in his third year at Hogwarts, and had seen boys dating boys before, and it was no big deal, no one said anything about it. <em>But</em>, he also went to muggle school for most of his life, so he knew what other people thought.</p><p>He met kids that got bullied for 'looking gay', and heard plenty of nasty conversations about it. Dudley told him, once, about how a new coworker of his dad was rumored to be dating another men, and he was fired once the rest of the office figured it out. One time, when he was younger, some older kid was teasing Harry when he was walking back from school, because he had picked up some flowers to bring to his sister – she had had a tantrum that day, ever the drama queen – and Daniel had defended him, telling the other boy that Harry was not a 'fag'.</p><p>There were plenty of little moments like that stashed away in his head – all of them resurfacing now.</p><p>Deeper in the windmill of what he recognized as the 'problematic' line of thinking, Harry put himself under the magnifying glass. He new that 'being gay' wasn’t genetic – he wasn’t stupid – but when he questioned his feeling, maybe he could see that – what? No. No, no, no, no. That’s stupid, let’s not even think about that. Harry’s not a <em>fag </em>– oops! Bad word. That’s a bad word. He knew that because Tessa told him after he said it once. Yeah, let’s forget that. This is not even <em>about</em> him. <em>Ugh</em>.</p><p>So, either way, it bothered Harry to now that there was a “JamesxSirius Situation”, and he didn’t like that he was being lied to, and that it was happening at all. In conclusion, he would keep it a secret, because he had no desire of thinking about it any longer.</p><p>There. Great. Solved. <em>Emotionally constipated my ass, </em>he thought to himself, before falling asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>- Hope this chapter helped justify a little more of Harry's character!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Draco's Winter Break</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Narcissa Malfoy was sixteen, she performed the spell that permanently changed her hair from dark brown to silvery blond. It involved a tricky to brew potion, and her scalp remained tingly for days afterwards, but it was worth it. Lucius had proposed to her in the week prior, and he was nervous about their parent’s reaction to the whole ordeal, especially since they were both promised to different people.</p><p>The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was one of the wealthiest and oldest families in the Wizarding World, and part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. However, the family had been under scrutiny in the latest years, due to internal tension - such as family members being disowned -  and public disagreements with the ministry, especially with the Auror Department, for the family’s involvement with the Dark Arts.</p><p>Marriages were arranged to stabilize their position, and Narcissa and her sisters were promised to other prominent pureblood families. Bellatrix was the oldest and had her engagement officialized once she graduated from Hogwarts, but Andromeda, ever the rebel, ran away as soon as she could and was rumored to be in a relationship with a <em>muggle. </em>Either way, Narcissa got to Hogwarts knowing she had a unofficial marriage contract to a pureblood boy from Durmstrang.</p><p>Not that it made any difference to her, because once she met Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, her heart was set. It was difficult at first, with him being older and not really noticing her, but Narcissa was patient and focused, and by the time she was fourteen, they were already exchanging love letters and going on secret dates.</p><p>When they revealed their marriage intentions to their families, the reaction was surprisingly positive. They got married after Hogwarts.</p><p>Everything was perfect in Narcissa’s life, as far as she was concerned, but that changed pretty quickly, when their families got closer and closer to the ideas of one Lord Voldemort. Before she even realized it, Lucius was so roped up in the whole crusade that the Malfoy Manor was being offered as residence for the now He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and their money and influence being used at his mercy.</p><p>She always knew that Lucius could be ingenuous and malleable, but the extent of how her husband got blind-sided and subservient was scary. Soon she found herself afraid to express her opinion in her own house, having to settle with exchanging heavy looks with Abraxas, who was thrown out of the inner circle after not being enthusiastic enough about the leadership distribution.</p><p>When the War broke out, the Manor was filled with Death Eaters, and Lucius was acting so brain-washed that she suspected he was under the <em>imperius</em>. Abraxas and his wife definitely were, since they shared similar views to Narcissa, but weren’t quite as good as holding back their tongues. Bellatrix fell in a hysteric state, and Rodolphus was trying his best to take care of her. Narcissa’s father and the rest of the Black Family were difficult to read – she couldn’t tell how much of their conviction to The Dark Lord was genuine or out of self-preservation.</p><p>Narcissa felt alone and scared. Playing gullible housewife had been enough up until that moment, but when she found out about her pregnancy, she started making plans of running away. She could find Andromeda, or even her little cousin Sirius. But she never made it that far.</p><p>She was at the Dining Hall of the Manor, for another one of those meals where she ate silently and let Lucius hold her hand from time to time above the table, when The Dark Lord directed the word to her. It was the first time that ever had hapenned, and her head shot up, incredulous.</p><p>“You are oftly silent lately Mrs. Malfoy, nothing to add to the conversation?” he said with a low voice, while holding a glass full of one of the most expensive wines from the Manor’s cellar.</p><p>“My apologies Milord, I’ve been distracted, there’s been so many new developments in our front today... hard to keep up” she managed to keep her voice still, while trying desperately to keep her mind blank and protected from any <em>legilimency</em>. Narcissa never got to know if her <em>occlumency</em> failed or if he had other means of knowing her secrets.</p><p>“Oh dear, no need to be shy now. Share the good news” He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gave a dimmed smile with his expressionless eyes, and Narcissa held her breath, looking away. Lucius squeezed her hand over the table.</p><p>“Cissa? What does that mean? What news?” Lucius was trying to look her in the eyes but she just- her heart was beating so fast and she felt about to- she would rather <em>die</em> then-</p><p>
  <em>Pull. Yourself. Together.</em>
</p><p>She smiled, and held Lucius’s hand with her sweaty ones – he didn’t notice. She looked into his worried eyes and tried to see the man she fell in love with. It was difficult.</p><p>“We are going to have a baby”</p><p>Living in the Manor didn’t get any easier after that. At least Lucius started acting a little more present, but maybe that was just a precaution for her not to run away.</p><p>When Draco was born everything got so much scarier – she never loved anything so much in her life. She lost track of what was happening in the War and the people around her after that – her priorities had changed.</p><p>It was only when that dreaded Prophecy was announced that significant changes happened. Lucius’s parents had apparently shook the <em>imperius</em>, her own father gave her charged looks and dubious sayings, and after The Dark Lord cut the unborn child off her sister’s belly, Bellatrix’s whole demeanor changed.</p><p>Everything exploded during Halloween night, when her worst fears came true. The night that his now thirteen-year-old son was watching on a Pensieve.</p><p>She agreed with Lucius that allowing Draco to see the memory was the easiest way for him to completely understand how that night happened, from the Prophecy, the killing curse, his Grandmother’s death, the massacre of the remaining Death Eaters... everything.</p><p>When Draco re-emerged from the Pensieve, the boy had blood red eyes streaming with tears and a look of hopelessness. The room they were in sizzling with his magic.</p><p>“How- How could I...I was one year old...” Draco gulped, sitting on the floor “The prophecy... Was <em>I-</em> Did I...?” he croaked, incapable of finishing a sentence, and looked up at his family.</p><p>Narcissa approached him, her heals clacking in the marble floor, and crouched in front of her beautiful, perfect, only son. She used her hand to clean the tears off his pink stained cheeks, and kissed his forehead.</p><p>“You did”.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Cool wind brushed Draco’s hair as he glided softly in his broom, his feet touching the top of the tallest trees as he flew by. He looked over the grounds that surrounded his home, even in this height, he couldn’t see their limits. The Malfoy ancestral home was one of the first established Wizarding States, and since it’s origins, never stopped growing. Now, centuries later, it was officially way too big for it’s only four residents. The Manor, always changing along with it’s owners, had now a mainly Baroque style – a white and ornamented exterior, full of towers and domes, very dramatic and grand. On the inside, way too many rooms for Draco to count, but all of them with plenty of details, tall ceilings and rich atmosphere – even the dungeons had bronze columns and delicate paintings. The grounds were in a league of their own – realistically, the State didn’t even fit in their slice of Wiltshire, but intricate spellwork allowed it to be in many places at once. Flying over the land, you could see the different types of vegetation blended, creating a patchwork of colors and climates.</p><p>Draco liked to jump on a broom from time to time, and just enjoy the magnificent view – it was therapeutic. And, oh Merlin, therapeutic was just what he needed at the moment.</p><p>When Draco’s parents told him that they had sensitive information to reveal to him during Christmas Break, he knew it would be serious. He mentally prepared for it. He expected some dirty secrets about their involvement in the War, maybe even some concealed-from-the-public facts about He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. And technically, that was what they told him. But, just... also... so much more.</p><p>His family killed The Dark Lord, after The Dark Lord had failed to kill <em>him</em>.</p><p>Everything after that was a big mess. They told him about the carefully balanced power dynamic they had within the Ministry, and how it would all fall apart once the Dark Lord returned and told all bloodpurists that the Black-Malfoys were the responsible for his downfall. And how they would never be fully absolved by the Order of the Phoenix (You-Know-Who’s opposition), mainly because they were unwilling to reveal Draco’s position as “Prophecy-boy”, since Dumbledore apparently didn’t have the strictest moral code when it came to winning wars. Figures.</p><p>All of this was complicated enough, so when the topic of <em>Horcruxes </em>was brought up, imagine-</p><p>“Draco Lucius Malfoy!” Draco almost fell off his broom with the booming voice of his aunt resonating through the grounds “Get your scrawny ass over here right this instant!”</p><p>He zoomed back to the Manor, remembering they were due to attend a Ministry party at seven. That was also a big part of the contingency plan his family was working on – building as many useful aliances as possible, with whatever time they had left. And these events were great for networking.</p><p>He got off his broom outside one of the Manor’s back entrances, next to Bellatrix, who was just cancelling her <em>sonorus</em> spell.</p><p>“No more comments on my ass” he felt it was imperative to say.</p><p>“It really is scrawny, you ought to know” she shrugged.</p><p>Draco scowled at her and went inside. He only had forty minutes to get ready, and refused to use cleaning spells as a replacement for showers – that was just barbaric.</p><p>He finished styling his hair in the nick of time, and sped to the main sitting room, where they would all floo together to the Ministry.</p><p>“...he really is pathetically skinny. I get it, knowing spells is important, but he <em>will be</em> helpless against a gush of wind” Bellatrix’s voice reached him as he entered to room.</p><p>“Will you stop it already!” his scowling face made his father and uncle laugh, and even his mother allowed the corners of her mouth to lift up in a smile. Both his grandfathers were oblivious to the conversation, playing chess with upmost intensity.</p><p>“What are you going to do?” his aunt challenged him “Duel me? Argue? Not fight me – I would break you in half” she smiled.</p><p>Draco though about the ways he could possibly jump her, but in all honestly she wouldn’t hesitate to <em>actually</em> break some of his bones just to prove a point.</p><p>“You’re lucky that I really like these robes” he huffed, adjusting his dark green vest, that had silver embroidery along the sewing lines. Bellatrix cackled but he ignored her, pretending to analyze the ongoing chess game.</p><p>“Maybe he really should start a activity to put some meat in those bones” Lucius mused, moving to stand next to his wife.</p><p>“Father!” oh, the bitter betrayal.</p><p>“Hum, I actually don’t disagree” Narcissa hummed, looking at Draco, who didn’t even say anything. Why bother at this point – his whole family was against him.</p><p>“We’re officially past fashionably late” Rodolphus announced, after casting a <em>tempus</em>. Lucius had to take one for the team and knock over the game of chess, so they could get a move on already. Draco went into the fireplace after his parents, making a point to mutter about <em>old hags that should worry about their own decaying bodies</em> as he passed his aunt – who tripped him, a completely unjustified action.</p><p> </p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>“Oh hello darling boy! Look how handsome you are, it’s been so long, you’ve gotten so tall!”</p><p>“Thank you Great Aunt Walburga, it’s nice to see you too” Draco smiled to the portrait that decorated the hall of the Black Family’s Ancestral Home. His mother had grown up here along with a big portion of the family, but now it’s only residents were his aunt, uncle and grandfather. It was the last week of the Christmas Break, and he was paying a visit to the old home.</p><p>“How are you enjoying Hogwarts? Your uncle told me you got into Slytherin! Oh you make me so proud!”</p><p>“Oh it’s been quite-“</p><p>“Darling, we are ready to start” his Mother’s voice carried melodically through the corridor, and he gave the portrait an apologetic look before heading to the magically enlarged backyard.</p><p>There, his mother and his aunt were talking quietly over some tea. He sat down at the remaining chair around the patio table, and as soon as he was accommodated, a house elf appeared by his side, asking his tea preference. Kreacher was a very old and grumpy elf, an ugly looking thing, but constantly pampered and fussed over by the remaining Blacks, since he was almost as old as the house itself. After the elf brought him his beverage, his mother and aunt decided to include him on the conversation.</p><p>“Darling, I know we’ve already discussed your schedule, and all the things you need to do to better prepare yourself to the future” his Mother started.</p><p>“We did” Draco agreed, it was a big list of things “Although I am always up to renegotiating the physical training”. His aunt huffed. He stared her down as she added another sugar cube to her tea. The nerve on some people.</p><p>“I’m sorry dear, no taking things off the list. Quite the contrary” he looked back at his Mother, who was suddenly looking excited “Me and your aunt have been thinking...”</p><p>“A dangerous prospect” he mumbled.</p><p>“...and we want to add another ability for you to start working on. Now, I have to warn you, it’s a demanding and tiring process, so you’ll need to really apply yourself if you want to go through with it”.</p><p>“It’s a very rare skill that most wizards don’t even try to achieve” Bellatrix continued “We can’t tell how useful it will be until you actually develop it, but it’s always a good trick to have up your sleeve, either way”.</p><p>Draco though they both looked very pretentious, trying to hide half smiles under their tea cups.</p><p>“Well? I’m intrigued” he pleaded. His mother put down her tea and straightened her posture – which was already impeccable before.</p><p>“We want you to became an Animagus”</p><p>“Oh”</p><p>He felt bad about dimming their excited looks, but he had learned about Animagi Theory, and he just wasn’t really interested.</p><p>“I just don’t think it is... worth it? Or the right thing for me?” he tried to justify himself.</p><p>“Dear, I would really like for you to consider this” his Mother asked “I understand you have a lot on your plate, but we really think this is the type of thing that could make a difference”</p><p>Draco thought of gentle ways to convey that he really wasn’t up for it, but it was difficult to go against his mother’s disappointed look. Luckily he didn’t need to say anything at the moment, because Bellatrix dropped a file in front of him. He raised one eyebrow.</p><p>“A list of every Registered Animagus alive that the Ministry has a record of” his aunt explained.</p><p>It was a very short list. Eight people in total. Some names he recognized, such as Professor McGonagall; Broderick Bode, who worked in the Department on Mysteries; Mafalda Hopkirk, another Ministry employee; and some other miscellaneous names. He also noticed James Potter, Head Auror and Harry’s father – his form was a Stag.</p><p>“Not a lot of Animagi running around” he returned the file to his aunt. She snorted. “Indeed, not a lot. But significantly more than what this document shows”.</p><p>“Oh, the perks of anonymity” he realized. Narcissa gave him a amused look.</p><p>“So?” he raised his eyebrows at her “Any info on the outlaws?”</p><p>“Oh, we know a few” she took a sip of her tea “Rita Skeeter is a beetle”</p><p>“How appropriate” Draco laughed. He thought about all of those convenient articles that would pop out of the blue and give his family the upper hand of multiple situations in the past. He guessed that there were good advantages to uncovering a stray Animagi – his Mother could name three more, of various lines of work.</p><p>“But, you know, Draco, the important thing to take from this is not who is a Animugus, but, who wasn’t able to become one” she gave him a heavy look, that his aunt matched.</p><p>“You mean-“</p><p>“He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”</p><p>Draco took a deep breath.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Narcissa gave him a gentle smile.</p><p>“He tried. Multiple times. He was fascinated by the process, by the transformative magic, even by the aspect of a animal that represented your true-self. He often searched for validation through magical conquests, I noticed. But this one he never achieved”</p><p>“Dumbledore is not one either” Bellatrix added.</p><p>“We can’t be sure of that” her sister rebuttaled.</p><p>“Oh, I’m quite certain” Bella mumbled through her long curls.</p><p>Both got back to looking at Draco expectantly. He just sighted. “I suppose I can give it a try if...”</p><p>He was interrupted by the both of them squeaking and getting up to give him tight hugs – Narcissa being much more graceful than her sister through the whole ordeal.</p><p>“Wait! I got a condition!” he managed to say though the embraces “It has to be after this school year. There’s no way I can do this right now”</p><p>“Oh that’s no problem at all!” his Mother patted his cheek “We were planning for the lessons to happen in the summer either way!”</p><p>“Who is going to teach me?” he asked, curiously, since Professor Trelawney’s name was not in either one of the lists provided.</p><p>“Well, aren’t you a lucky boy” his aunt was terribly cheery, it was unnerving “We happen to have two great teachers at hand!”</p><p>Bellatrix and Narcissa gave him matching wide smiles before stepping further into the backyard. Their heels were close to sinking into the grass, but it wasn’t really a problem, because moments later, they both turned. A hyena for his aunt, and a lioness for his mother.</p><p>“How Gryffindorish of you, Mother” Draco croaked, wide eyed. It was all he managed to say</p><p>Narcissa growled in response. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>How are we feeling about this so far? Hope you liked it! </p><p>Thank you for reading!!! &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this took so long... Please let me know if you see any mistakes!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snape really didn’t like Harry Potter.</p><p>That became obvious after ten minutes of class. It was surprising, though, since all the other teachers seemed so taken with the boy. Draco wanted to like Snape for it, but he realized that he couldn’t, not when the anger was so misplaced.</p><p>Draco’s parents told him about the Potions Master over the Winter Break, how he used to be a friend of the family. Draco tried to sympathize with the men, thinking about how lonely he probably was, how he lost the woman he loved. But looking at how Snape’s face contorted in disgust every time Potter opened his mouth...</p><p>Snape had been the double agent that brought the Prophecy to the Dark Lord, the same one that caused the death of dozens of babies. Draco also remembered what was shown to him in the Pensieve, how Snape claimed to love Harry’s mother, but had no qualms about allowing her husband and son to die.</p><p>Yes, it was difficult to find sympathy for the man. Draco could only muster pity.</p><p>“And how is Lycanthropy transmitted?” Snape looked over the class, making a point of ignoring Hermione’s raised hand. “Mr. Potter, maybe you can enlighten us” he drawled.</p><p>Harry just cowered in his chair “Sorry sir, I don’t know”.</p><p>Snape just raised his eyebrow and muttered “Typical” before turning back to the front of the room and kept on trying to fit as much werewolf knowledge as he could in one lesson. Draco’s eye twitched.</p><p>Professor Snape had taken over the Defense Against Dark Arts class for the day since Lupin had a “illness” that left him indisposed for a couple of days each month – to Draco, Remus Lupin being a werewolf was <em>glaringly obvious</em>, and for the looks of it, Snape was trying to make it obvious for the rest of the students as well. Which didn’t help the whole ‘finding sympathy for him’ thing.</p><p>If Lupin was exposed as a werewolf, he wouldn’t just loose his job, but his life would pretty much be over – that’s how drastic the prejudice and discrimination against lycanthropy was. By the end end of the class, Draco was fuming. Severus Snape was a very cruel man.</p><p>As soon as they were dismissed Draco stomped out into the corridor, and Blaise and Pansy scurried after him – with their usual level of decorum, obviously.</p><p>“Is there something wrong?” Pansy held his hand, concern written all over her face. Even Blaise had a frown.</p><p>When Draco return to school after the holidays, he had been advised not to share any of the new knowledge he acquired – but he couldn’t keep it hidden from his best friends, he just couldn’t, especially Pansy.</p><p>Blaise’s family had been neutral in the War, and his mother was a very powerful and rich woman. So much so that if The Dark Lord were to make a return, he’d have to be mad to try and damage a single strand from Blaise’s curly hair.</p><p>But Pansy’s situation was more complicated. The Parkinson’s were devoted Death Eaters and blood-supremacists, who wouldn’t hesitate to go crawling back to Who-He-Must-Not-Be-Named good favors as soon as he returned. And as much as Pansy’s mother was affectionate, the woman held no power against her husband, who was recently released from his ten-year sentence in Azkaban and was more than a little mad. Now, let’s say that The Dark Lord comes back, wanting to revenge on Draco, and gets a word that the Parkinson’s daughter is best-friends with the boy... there wouldn’t be much reluctance to deliver her over.</p><p>That being said, since Draco returned with the news, one of the things the trio were brain-storming on was how to protect her, worst comes to worst.</p><p>Draco looked at her concerned face and forced a smile, not wanting to worry her even more.</p><p>“No, don’t worry. I just realized I don’t care very much for Snape’s teachings”</p><p>Blaise huffed as they turned back in the direction of the Great Hall.</p><p>“Don’t you? I, for once, am glad to see someone not fawning over certain Gryffindors”</p><p>“But he <em>is </em>excessively broody” Pansy said, back in a good mood “Although you can’t say you don’t appreciate his dramatics, darling” she added, swinging her hand that was still holding Draco’s.</p><p>“What do you mean?” he frowned, trying to keep his composure while allowing Pansy to skip through the hallway while still attached to him. She wiggled her eyebrows.</p><p>“Don’t try to pretend that you didn’t copy his ‘<em>billowing robes’ </em>thing”</p><p>Draco scowled and dislodged his hand from hers “I do <em>not!</em>”</p><p>She pouted at him, but not for long, since a cackling Blaise swoop in with an arm around her shoulders. The two of them kept going to the Great Hall in a discreet fit of giggles.</p><p>Very offended, Draco took a breath to dictate them on betrayal and rude assumptions based off jealousy, when a small flock of paper birds came flying through the hallway, and surrounded him, singing screeching tunes in his ears. That only made Pansy and Blaise laugh louder.</p><p>Merlin, he was starting to hate Valentine’s Day.</p><p>Draco marched down the corridor, enduring the annoying birds that were flying around his head until he entered the Great Hall, where he stood silently, waiting for it’s occupants to notice him in the entrance – which happened fairly quickly, swarm of loud paper birds considered.</p><p>He let a cold stare wash over the now silent tables, lingering on anyone that was blushing or avoiding his eyes, before lifting up his wand, and letting the enchanted birds burst into flames around him.</p><p>After multiple students flinched, and a first year Hufflepuff cried, Draco was satisfied to make his way to the Slytherin table for lunch. He squeezed himself in between Pansy and Blaise, that were once again snickering.</p><p>“And you still believe you’re not dramatic?” Pansy raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. Draco didn’t dignify the remark with a response.</p><p>“I am more surprised that he – and I find it weird even saying this – is demanding <em>less </em>attention” Blaise added.</p><p>Draco had to agree – he was someone that thrived on attention. However, Valentine’s Day in Hogwarts was insanity, he had realized.</p><p>When Draco received a few cute notes over breakfast, he was pleased – especially since he got more than Harry Potter did – but everything went downhill from there.</p><p>There had been a large brown toad with a red bow waiting in his seat for Arithmancy Class – professor Vector wasn’t pleased. In between classes, a Howler thrown his way screeched a poorly composed poem in a ‘whisper-scream’ voice, that felt more threatening than flattering. Shortly after that, he was chased the rest of the way to the Defense Class by a cloud of dusty moths that were dripping some sort of glitter. He only got away with the last one because Potter also brought his own swarm of moths into the classroom – apparently Potter’s moths were a much grater deal than Draco’s moths, to Professor Snape.</p><p>Either way, he was very much done with the bothersome and, honestly, ineffective displays.</p><p>Or so he thought.</p><p>He was finishing his meal, repressing a giggle after seeing that the white dove that had come into the Hall to deliver Potter a pink letter had shitted on his shoulder – good entertainment – when a school owl dropped an envelope in front of him. Draco and Pansy braced themselves for it to start singing or yelling, but it seemed like a ordinary envelope. Blaise even pointed out the good quality paper and the respectful wax seal – he was good at noticing that type of thing -, so Draco decided to open it.</p><p>Only for flowers to explode in his face.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Harry was still snickering after Malfoy stomped out of the Great Hall, small white flowers leaving a delicate trail behind him. Down the Gryffindor table, Tessa’s face was bright red.</p><p>But Harry was brought out of his glee by Hermione’s deathly glare.</p><p>“What! I didn’t even do anything!” Harry tries to defend himself from her intense staring.</p><p>In all fairness, Harry’s behavior towards the Slytherin improved drastically after the Holidays. Harry realized that he was being much too intense about him, so tried to keep his distance.</p><p>Only... that didn’t really work either.</p><p>It wasn’t Harry’s fault! Malfoy was just... always there! With his superiority complex and smug looks... It was easy to gravitate towards him with arguments and sneering and rude words. Either way, the harmless sparr was much preferred then the intense brooding and explosions of anger. But there was still anger.</p><p>Harry couldn’t get pass everything Malfoy represented, and he wasn’t actually trying to get past it either, not allowing himself to get back into that downwards spiral of confusing feelings, that always managed to bring up thoughts of his father and Sirius as well.</p><p>Therefore, he hadn’t discussed what he witnessed during the Holidays with anyone yet. Not his sister, not his best friends, not his hometown friends.</p><p>But today, it was hard not to think about it, with all the lovey-dovey business happening all around him. There where couples everywhere, and those annoying poems and declaration spells and Malfoy covered in glitter from those moths... It was difficult to keep his problematic thoughts at bay.</p><p>So, today, he decided to talk about it. He made that decision just like always makes them – by impulse.</p><p>In their free period after lunch, Harry sat Ron and Hermione on a couch by the corner of the Common Room.</p><p>“I need to talk about something” Harry started.</p><p>He considered going to Remus with this, but the Professor was still sick. Plus, if Remus somehow already knew and was also keeping it a secret... No, better go to his friends.</p><p>“It’s kinda serious” he added, in response to their inquisitive looks.</p><p>“Sure Harry” Hermione closed and put away the book she was skimming through “Whatever you want to discuss, we’re here for you” she gave him a, understanding – and somehow knowing – look before kicking Ron in his shins. Ron jumped.</p><p>“Yeah mate, whatever it is, we’re here” He gave a contorted smile.</p><p>“Yeah, okay...” Ok, Harry could do this. It was no big deal really. Very simple.</p><p>He looked around once more, and added a <em>muffliato </em>charm for good mesure when he caught Ginny staring at him from across the room. He turned back to his friends, and exhaled.</p><p>“Well, you see... It’s no big deal, really, I just – I...” it was hard to put into words. How do you explain that you discovered that your Father has a secret relationship with your Godfather and you are torn up about it? Jesus, it even sounded a little incestuous, ‘father and godfather’. Even if they aren’t related. But the Wizarding Society never really showed a big taboo when it comes to that – thinking about it, with how old the Malfoy Family is, Draco is probably all kinds of inbred. Wait. The Blacks are also a really old family. Could Sirius...</p><p>“Harry” Ron intervened, looking slightly concerned.</p><p>“Sorry” Harry muttered. Right “Okay, hum. What do you guys think about... I mean, I know the Wizarding Society doesn’t really have a <em>problem</em> with it, but growing up I heard many different things about it, you see, so I’m just trying to situate myself here...”</p><p>“Mate, you’re rambling again”</p><p>“Ronald, just let him speak!” Hermione shushed Ron. She had a eager look on her face.</p><p>“A man dating another man” Harry blurted out. Then blushed.</p><p>“What about it?” Ron seemed more confused than before.</p><p>“Romantically” Harry tried to specify. That didn’t seem to help Ron’s confusion. Which was a good thing, right? If he didn’t have a problem with it? He looked to Hermione for help, and she jumped into a clarification, with a glint in her eyes and a smile.</p><p>“Although Harry was raised by Wizards, Ron, he went to a muggle school, and grew up with muggle children – therefore, muggle culture. In the muggle world, homosexuality is not easily accepted like in the Wizarding World, and-“</p><p>“Homo-what?” Ron interrupted. Harry was glad for it, since his cheeks were on fire and didn’t really like the clinical way Hermione was approaching the topic. She explained the word to Ron and was jumping back into the explanation, but Harry had already gotten the gist of it.</p><p>“So it’s fine” he summed up.</p><p>“Yes” Hermione smiled. Ron didn’t seem to have followed the conversation.</p><p>“Okay” Harry let out a breath “Good.”</p><p>One less thing to think about, then? There was the whole ‘how long has it been going on’ and ‘did they ever went behind his mom’s back’. But for now, that seemed to take out a heavy weight off Harry’s chest. He smiled at a beaming Hermione and a Ron that gave up on the whole conversation and was chewing on his nails.</p><p>“I’m glad you decided to talk about it Harry” Hermione took his hand “You know that we support you a hundred per cent”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Harry asked.</p><p>“Oh is just that we could see how you were torn up about this...”</p><p>“What? Did you know?” Harry took back his hand. How did she know? Harry himself just figured it out. Did Tessa know? Harry felt sick.</p><p>“Well, it <em>is</em> pretty obvious Harry” she gave him a coy smile “You aren’t exactly subtle. Did you talk to Draco? Did <em>he</em> talk to you?” she asked, eagerly. Ron seemed to be situating himself back in back in the conversation just as Harry was getting lost.</p><p>“What do you mean? What does Malfoy has to do with anything?”</p><p>“Aren’t we talking about him? And you?” Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion.</p><p>“No” his heart was pounding “Why would you even think that?”</p><p>“Ohh, Harry...” Hermione’s expression turned pitying. Harry hated it. He looked at Ron for support, but the other boy seemed conflicted, if not confused again.</p><p>“Well, you’re wrong” Harry said, before getting up to leave the Common Room.</p><p>“Harry! Wait, I didn’t mean to imply...” Hermione started, but Harry cut her off.</p><p>“It’s fine. I’m fine” he mumbled before leaving the Gryffindor Tower “Talk to you guys later”. And he <em>was </em>fine. Hermione just got confused, and Harry didn’t want to think too hard about why.</p><p>He made his way down through the mostly empty castle. He would wait in the library and catch up in his homework before his next class.</p><p>His mind apparently didn’t get the memo to “not think to hard”, and was reeling while he zoomed the corridors.</p><p>Malfoy? Did Hermione really think that Harry was asking those things in relation to Malfoy? Does she... does she think Malfoy likes boys? Or that Harry liked... him? No, they fought all the time, that didn’t make sense. Or... maybe it did?</p><p>Just the thought of it made Harry’s hands all sweaty. Could it possibly be that –</p><p>His train of thought was interrupted – <em>thank Merlin </em>- when he collided abruptly with another body that was going down the hallway.</p><p>“Sorry” he gasped, looking up to a group of girls in Ravenclaw embroidered uniforms, and then to the one student he had accidentally pushed over to the floor. He bent down to help her gather her books and parchments, and realized that the girl was none other than Cho Chang – the other house’s Seeker.</p><p>“Hey, my bad” he smiled coyly.</p><p>“Looks like your stellar reflexes are limited to when you’re in a broom” she huffed, but smiled nonetheless.</p><p>“Yeah, apparently” he held a hand to help her up, and handed her the share of the books he had picked up.</p><p>“Thank you, Harry” she stood with the rest of the Ravenclaws, and Harry felt a little embarrassed when he notice how intensely her friends were staring him down.</p><p>“Sorry, again...” he backed away slowly from Cho’s bright smile, and she waved as he left. When he turned away from them, he felt a blush creeping over his cheeks.</p><p>By the time his next class started, he couldn’t even remember why he had been upset.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve found Draco shortly after he stomped away of the Great Hall and out of the Castle. Moments after he sat himself in a nice patch of grass in the outskirts of the Great Lake, she came running through the grounds meowing loudly, only quieting down after propping herself in his lap.</p><p>Her intense purring combined with the warm sun-rays on his skin were enough to calm him down after the absolute humiliation of the flower-bomb letter.</p><p>The thing is, all these Valentine Day’s shenanigans weren’t even that stressing – Draco was just constantly on the edge of a mental breakdown, or at least that was he felt like most of the time.</p><p>Knowing you and your family are the reason why the genocidal maniac that brought on a Wizarding War is dead, is a big piece of information on its own, but realizing the Dark Lord is coming back – that’s another level.</p><p>On top of the constant worry for his family and friends, Draco was getting more lessons than ever before, perfecting his dueling and charmswork. His mother insisted that he also bettered his healing arts and potions. Plus, the physical training. As a result, Draco had little free time and was always exhausted. He started getting frequent headaches and was blocking more and more of his everyday sensory overload, to preserve his sanity.</p><p>He was also barely seeing Genevine, he though, as he softly scratched a finger under her chin. She was very independent and loved to explore and do things by herself. He also suspected that she visited the Griffyndor Tower a little too much – and not for Crookshanks.</p><p>Draco got jealous and even a little angry when he realized that his cat had a soft spot for the Golden Boy, but he learned to bitterly accept it. After all, Genevieve was smart enough to make her own decisions, and she was a pretty good judge of character, if Draco was anything to show for it. Either way, just because Genevive liked the Gryffindor poster-boy, that didn’t mean that <em>Draco</em> had to.</p><p>He raised his head and let the warm light wash over his face. He was feeling so comfortable in the soft grass, with his furry Familiar on his lap, that he decided to ditch his afternoon lessons – they were independent studies anyway – to take a nap under the Sun.</p><p>He was woken up a few hours later, with Genevieve on his chest and the arm he had placed under his head uncomfortably numb. The sky was still bright, but with the Sun much lower in the horizon. Beside him, a Hufflepuff boy was crouched down and shaking his shoulder. He stopped once Draco was awake.</p><p>Still in a sleepy haze, Draco half groaned-half hummed, confused.</p><p>“Sorry” Cedric Diggory smiled as he propped himself on the ground next to Draco, who was getting to a seated position. “Some students said you’ve been here since lunch, I wanted to check that you hadn’t been stunned or something like that”.</p><p>“Nope, just a good old-fashioned <em>siesta</em>” Draco yawned. As he sat up, his cat slid from his chest to his lap, and hissed angrily at him. Draco held her face and hissed back.</p><p>“To assert dominance” he explained as he noticed Cedric’s weirded out look. “Something you, a mere Hufflepuff, wouldn’t understand” he shrugged.</p><p>Cedric laughed.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, I forgot you are a big bad Slytherin. I’ll try to remember next time. But just so you know, taking a nap on the grass, under the sun, while cuddling with a cat and with flowers in your hair... It’s not the most threatening of images, you might want to work on that” he teased.</p><p>“I have no flowers on my hair!” Draco screeched. He had made sure to get rid of all those little abominations. He started to shake his head from side to side profusely, messing up his hair, just to make sure.</p><p>“Wait, I got it” Cedric was laughing again, but once Draco stopped moving to allow the other boy to touch his hair, he quieted down. Instead, he was looking at Draco with upmost attention. He reached up, and carefully threaded his fingers through Draco’s platinum hair, and pulled a little white flower from it. Cedric caught Draco’s grey eyes in his caramel ones before he looked away to place the rogue flower in between Genevieve’s ears, who hissed once more.</p><p>“I didn’t know you had a cat” Cedric’s spoke, after Genevieve’s hiss broke the tension that had built up in the air – the ungrateful feline.</p><p>“She’s an inconspicuous little thing”</p><p>Draco watched as the older boy reached to pet her. First, offering his hand for the cat to smell and inspect. Once she was satisfied, he scratched softly behind her ear, and she purred loudly in approval.</p><p>Draco was happy with the interaction. Genevieve’s blessing was usually harder to attain, and Cedric getting it so earnestly made him trustworthy in Draco’s eyes.</p><p>“Where is the rest of your loyal followers?” Draco asked, noticing that there were no other Hufflepuffs in the vicinity, which was unusual, since Cedric was rarely seen without a large group of people – part of the reason Draco and the other boy didn’t have more of these alone moments.</p><p>Cedric smiled.</p><p>“My <em>friends</em> are getting ready to go to Hogsmead. We’re meeting in front of the castle soon”</p><p>Draco was disappointed at that. He wanted to spend a little more time with the other student. Especially after noticing how good the Hufflepuff was looking, with his soft brown hair and long legs stretched in front of him.</p><p>Suddenly, Draco remembered that it was Valentine’s Day. He gave Cedric a side glace.</p><p>“Got a hot date?”</p><p>The Hufflepuff got wide eyed and spluttered. Adorably.</p><p>“What? No! I’m just going with my friends! We’re all going together! It has nothing to do with today’s date or anything... like that” he defeatedly looked down at his nails as he finished talking, inspecting them intently.</p><p>It was sweet. Cedric was really sweet.</p><p>“What about you?” the Hufflepuff asked, looking up “Are you doing anything special today...? With... anyone in particular...?” Cedric seemed to cringe at himself by the end on the sentence.</p><p>It was astounding to Draco how someone that oozed perfection could act so unsure of himself.</p><p>“Hmm, why do you ask?” Draco couldn’t help but tease, smiling wickedly. Cedric actually scowled and pushed Draco’s shoulder lightly.</p><p>“Be serious!”</p><p>Draco laughed out loud – he just couldn’t help it! He was feeling so <em>giddy</em>.</p><p>But he decided to cooperate.</p><p>“Ok, ok!” he turned slightly, so he could face Cedric better, and looked the other boy dead in the eyes. Cedric seemed a little agitated but held the eye contact. “I don’t have any special plans. With <em>anyone</em>. Ok?” </p><p>“Ok” Cedric smiled softly, looking more relaxed.</p><p>“Ok” Draco smiled back, feeling a little light headed.</p><p>“Meow” Genevieve did a little stretch.</p><p>Cedric bit his lip, looking conflicted, but he then seemed to make a decision, and opened his mouth to say...</p><p>“Cedric!” someone screeched from behind them, making the boy flinch. He sighted before turning to respond.</p><p>“I’ll be right there!” he screamed back to the Hufflepuff student from his year that was standing close to the castle, before talking to Draco in a lower voice.</p><p>“Sorry. I guess I should be going...” he didn’t make a move to leave, though.</p><p>“Well, have fun with your friends” Draco smiled, enjoying Cedric’s anguish more than he should.</p><p>“Ok. Yeah” he looked at his friend again, but as he was getting up he turned to Draco again, and sat back down “Look, what do you think about –“</p><p>“Cedric! Come on!”</p><p>“One second Harper!” Cedric yelled over his shoulder before smiling sheepishly at Draco once again. “I was thinking... Well, I was <em>hoping</em>, actually, that since you’re not doing anything special with anyone... That maybe... you know, if you wanted to...if you’d be interested in, one of this days – with me, that is...”</p><p>Draco decided to spare him of his misery.</p><p>“Yeah” he smiled and put a hand gingerly on the older boy’s arm.</p><p>“Yeah?” Cedric’s smile widened “With me?”</p><p>“Yeah, with you” Draco laughed.</p><p>The two boys stared dumbly at each other with bright smiles for a few moments.</p><p>“CEDRIC!”</p><p>“Yeah, I should probably leave now” Cedric flinched and slowly got up.</p><p>“Yeah, you probably should” Draco kept smiling as the Hefflupuff went back to the castle. He met with his friend – <em>Harper</em> – and Draco could see them arguing for a second before Cedric turned bright red.</p><p>As they were leaving, Cedric’s friend raised his hand and waved widely back to Draco, that was still sitting on the grass with Genevieve in his lap.</p><p>“BYE DRAY-CO” he yelled with sickly sweet voice.</p><p>“BYE HARPER” Draco waved back.</p><p>Draco laughed as Cedric pulled Harper by the arm for them to finally leave.</p><p>For a wild moment, Draco wanted to roll around in the grass and just enjoy the fluttering feeling in his stomach, but he remembered he was a Malfoy and should have some self respect. He settled for going after Blaise and Pansy to force them to hear him gossip about Cedric for many hours.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Miles Nowak didn’t really like Marcus Flint. The captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team was a blundering idiot with anger issues - but somehow, he <em>was </em>very influential among his housemates, and that was all Miles needed.</p><p>He made a point of being friends with the other boy early in his schooling. It was simple to do, offering Marcus a bit of tutoring and listening to his nonsensical musings from time to time. And although not enjoyable, it had been worth it. Flint was from a rich pureblood family, and he could easily provide contacts and status by association – all that Miles needed, being one of the few Slytherin muggleborns in the school. Not that he knew how few there actually were, since they all made a pretty good effort of hiding it.</p><p>Either way, Miles never needed Flint to be smart, just malleable was more than enough for their mutualistic relationship – but at the moment, a few more functioning neurons would really be of help.</p><p>“Flint. Focus. Of course it makes sense” Miles pointed again at the open DADA book in front of the other boy.</p><p>“You’re <em>really</em> trying to convince me that Professor Lupin is a bloody werewolf? Come on mate, I’m not that stupid”</p><p>“Shhhh, keep your voice down. I’m being serious” he sighted before trying to explain everything to Marcus once again “Think about it. Snape has been dropping hints nonstop. I heard that he’s been giving the same lecture about werewolfs to every year. The last Defense professors were so incompetent with the curriculum that he can get away with it”</p><p>Flint made a face, but didn’t give in.</p><p>“And why would Snape try to expose him to the students?”</p><p>“Because Dumbledore is obviously not doing anything about it! And I heard that Lupin is <em>great</em> friends with the Potter’s father. If the Head Auror is keeping his mouth shut about a rogue werewolf being a teacher... Snape apparently has taken the matters in his own hands. Think about it Marcus, the man has done everything but announce it in the Great Hall!”</p><p>Flint seemed to consider all of this, but still wasn’t convinced.</p><p>“And only you noticed this?”</p><p>Miles scowled.</p><p>“Well, I’m sure <em>some</em> other students must have caught on. But I imagine any Hufflepuff would perish before considering a confrontational effort, and Gryffindors protect their own. I <em>am </em>puzzled about Ravenclaws, they really should have this all figured out, but I guess applying academical knowledge to real life situations might be a little challenging for them”</p><p>Flint seemed to have gotten confused by the conversation, so Miles made his own voice a little more dramatic for the other boy’s benefit</p><p>“I swear to you, this is happening. And it’s a very dangerous situation. Snape works under Dumbledore so he can’t do anything about it. But <em>we can</em>. Marcus, it’s up to us”</p><p>Miles should have known. Use simple rationalization and Flint was at a loss, but a weak appeal to as misplaced sense of pride...</p><p>Marcus Flint got wide eyed and puffed up his chest</p><p>“I guess it <em>is</em> up to us...!<em>”</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>FYI:<br/>1. Can we all collectively pretend that Cedric is only two years older and not FOUR? I'm gonna mention this later in the fic but let me say this here too just to let y'all KNOW.<br/>2. Snape has more trauma in this one (James raising Harry and dead babies and losing his chance to save lily etc).</p><p>THANK YOU FOR READING! Comment and let me know what you think! :) :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Let’s go over everything one more time”</p><p>“No... We already went over the plan like, ten times-“</p><p>“Only three, and I think you, especially, would benefit from-”</p><p>“What I <em>actually </em>want to know is why don’t we just <em>do this</em>!” Marcus Flint threw his arms up “Or it’s going to take ages before we do anything!”</p><p>“See, this makes me think we need to go over the plan <em>ten more </em>times” Amanda Nott drawled from the other side of the table.</p><p>Miles had to agree.</p><p>Amanda was Flint’s girlfriend, and was brought into their scheming with no objection from Miles, since he knew she was smart and would actually be more helpful than Marcus in the planning and execution of their little project.</p><p>Miles sighted before turning back to Flint.</p><p>“Okay, let’s do this again” he urged Flint to pay attention “Most werewolfs drink a Wolfsbane Potion every full moon, when they transform. They have to do that in order to maintain their rational minds and not hurt themselves while indoors. If they are outdoors for the full moon, it also helps to control their impulses so they don’t hurt anyone, or anything like that” Flint already looked distracted. Amanda gave Miles a empathetic look, and he tried to go over everything as simply as possible.</p><p>“In the last two months, we spied on Lupin to learn his routine: Snape leaves him the Wolfsbane Potion is his personal quartes in the morning, and Lupin spends the whole day locked up. He has strong protective spells and wards in his quarters, plus physical restrains for himself. He also uses multiple layers of disillusionment charms and silencing spells” Miles explained.</p><p>“Our strategy” Amanda picked up where he left off “is to replace the Potion with a strong Sleeping Draught. Sleeping Draught is easy to make, but we need to disguise it as Wolfsbane - and <em>that</em>, takes weeks. <em>Plus, </em>we need to be prepared to break down most of his protective spells by the time the moon rises, and that will also take time”</p><p>“And then” Flint seemed to have caught on – since that was the part of the plan he liked “We take him out of his room, let him turn, provoque him with some hexes, and let the Wolf loose” he grinned.</p><p>“We also call the students to the halls. We need a lot of people to see him, so the news can get out and Dumbledore won’t be able to keep denying it” Amanda completed.</p><p>Marcus seemed happy enough with the explanation – for now at least.</p><p>“I still think we should tell Malfoy” Amanda said, biting her fingernails.</p><p>“Yeah, I kind of agree” Flint nodded along.</p><p>They both looked over at Miles, who groaned inwardly.</p><p>It was so difficult to argue with their ingrained Slytherin, high society, pureblood mentality. They’d already had this discussion multiple times – Miles was always able to shut it down, but they were more insistent every time.</p><p>“Malfoy is just a Third Year” Miles presented his old and overused argument.</p><p>“He already completed the whole charms curriculum! The boy could break those wards better than the three of us combined!” Amanda insisted.</p><p>Okay, that was a complete exaggeration. But he recognized that the kid was smart – smart enough to have already figured out about Lupin. </p><p>However, there were other things about the boy that the others didn’t seem to notice: Draco Malfoy - the perfect poster child for the First Families, Pureblood Traditions and Old Magic... didn’t care about blood purity.</p><p>Most of the students seemed to think he was playing his part as ‘reformed’ to fit his parents narrative from after the War. And a lot of those same students started mimicking him – stopped targeting, excluding and using slurs against the muggleborns -, because they though Malfoy was <em>so smart  </em>for that strategy<em>.</em></p><p>Now, Miles was no hypocrite. As a muggleborn, he was glad for the changes – façade or not.</p><p>But it <em>wasn’t</em> a façade. Malfoy was <em>too friendly </em>with both muggleborns and bloodtraitors. He knew about muggle things, and wasn’t scared of them. The young boy also didn’t side with a lot of concepts the Old Families supported; he showed disregard for many Pureblood Traditions; he was <em>way</em> to liberal when it came to <em>creature rights</em> – like having no problem standing by and letting a <em>bloody</em> <em>Werewolf-</em></p><p>Miles might not agree with prejudice against muggleborns, but he respected the Old Magic traditions.</p><p>However, most students didn’t notice those other things. Probably because they didn’t pay as much attention as Miles, who was <em>very </em>curious once he heard of ‘Slytherin Princes’, ‘the only Malfoy heir’ and their ‘power and influence’.</p><p>He realized it was all very complicated, with many factors he never considered, such as his friends insisting to involve the boy in their plans because ‘Draco will tell his parents and his parents will talk with the other important families about how we were involved and my family will be so proud and the older families will be so happy and <em>favors! gratitude! future jobs! social standing!</em> and on and on...’.</p><p><em>You have to pick your battles</em>, Miles reminded himself.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll tell the Malfoy boy about it” he gave in.</p><p>Marcus and Amanda grinned, but but Miles inserted his concessions before they could get too excited.</p><p>“We’ll tell him once the plan is already mostly executed” he started, trying to find a way for the outcome be the same even if Malfoy tries to interfere.</p><p>And, who knows, maybe the boy doesn’t know about Lupin, and will actually help them expose the creature.</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Blaise Zabini made a show of rolling his eyes and huffing every time Pansy and Draco jumped up and down in the Slytherin stand, but both of his friends knew he was internally amused.</p><p>It was the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, and usually, a tough one for the Slytherins to attend - considering the infamous rivalry of their house with the Gryffindors, plus their reluctance to support anything Hufflepuff. In the years past, the Slytherins would be passive observers, silently cheering for whatever house that would advance their own standing in the Season.</p><p>This year, however, their house united to support Hufflepuff, with flashy banners, miniature fireworks and a five verse chant. All courtesy of one Draco Malfoy.</p><p>It was still one week before the game when the blond boy climbed up the small table in the middle of the Common Room to organize the students into one enthusiastic Hufflepuff fan club.</p><p>The Slytherins were reluctant at first, but after a mild temper tantrum, a few covert threats and a poorly put-together inspiring speech about unity and the glory of their school years, even the older students agreed to participate.</p><p>If one was to question Draco’s sudden interest in Hufflepuffs’s success, it would be justified in his desire to see Harry Potter loose – their antagonistic relationship a source of gossip and entertainment in the school. To support this narrative, there were even a few lines in the Slytherin’s chant that involved the raven haired boy falling off his broom and being eaten by wild Hippogriffs.</p><p>However, a handful of student’s knew better - and the ‘better’ had more to do with Cedric Diggory winning then with Harry Potter losing.</p><p>And for that handful, the whole ordeal was very entertaining.</p><p>The overwhelming support for Hufflepuff surprised both teams when they entered the pitch – said team with impossibly wide smiles and incredulity, and Gryffindor with frowns and confusion.</p><p>As soon as the whistle was blown and the players got in the air, Blaise saw Cedric scanning the Slytherin stand – now covered in black and yellow – until he found the head of silver white hair that was leading the chant.</p><p>Blaise didn’t know what had Draco more excited: Cedric’s adoring smile, or the power trip of having his whole house going along with his ideas.</p><p>The game was obviously influenced by the atmosphere in the stands, with Hufflepuff in a winning streak never seen before. Which fed the cheering even more, with students that came in with red and gold now transfiguring their garments to black and yellow. At some point, the collective excitement even made Blaise join the cheering. He spent the rest of the game jumping, screaming and singing along with the other students, one arm laced with Pansy’s, and other with Daphne Greengrass.</p><p>Other extremely amusing part of the match was the ire of one Harry Potter, who was red faced and muttering to himself. From time to time he would fly by the Slytherins to – and Blaise suspected, exclusively to, – scowl at Draco, who was always ready to make mocking faces for the further entertainment of his mates – and enraging of Potter.</p><p>When the game ended with whooping a 300 point advantage to Hufflepuff, the students invaded the pitch in commemoration. Going along with the crowd, Blaise would have missed how Potter stomped angrily back to the locker rooms if it weren’t for Pansy pointing it out for him while cackling.</p><p>As the crowd dispersed, letting the players leave to change from their uniforms and the rest of the students going back into the castle for the promise of a celebratory party, Blaise and Pansy went after Draco, who got lost during the commemoration.</p><p>He was smiling while talking to some Seventh Year Slytherins, blond hair ruffled and wide-eyed.</p><p>Pansy rolled her eyes when she saw him “There goes his ‘impenetrable Malfoy façade’”</p><p>Blaise smiled “I think he dropped that one after a couple of months, didn’t he?”</p><p>“Eh, it maybe lasted a little longer. He still does it sometimes” she grimaced.</p><p>“When he’s walking the corridors?”</p><p>“And during a few classes. Like Potions”</p><p>“Last class he was charming the back of Snape’s robes to display obscene versions of the instructions” Blaise said, in case she had forgotten. He certainly didn’t.</p><p>“No, that was me” Pansy admitted, while checking her manicured nails - this week they were silver with black and violet pansies.</p><p>“Of course, my mistake. That <em>is</em> more your specialty”</p><p>They approached Draco as the older students left.</p><p>“What was that all about?” Pansy asked him.</p><p>“They want me to organize the cheer for the next Slytherin’s games!” he smiled broadly.</p><p>Blaise furrowed his eyebrows “Do you even have the time to do that?”. He knew that his friend had had plenty of fun rounding up the crowd and organizing today’s event – but he had also neglected many of his other obligations to do so.</p><p>Draco’s smile faltered “Well, it should be easier than this one was, since the blueprint is already done. And the season is almost over, so, there aren’t many games left”</p><p>“And we’ll be there to help” Pansy added, smiling when Draco pulled her into a thankful hug. She winked at Blaise from over the blond’s shoulder.</p><p>He also pulled Blaise into a hug afterwords, for good measure.</p><p>When they started marching into the castle to get ready for the Hufflepuff’s victory party, Blaise noticed that Draco hesitated before the entrance, with a bashful smile.</p><p>“Uhm, why don’t you two go ahead?” he said “I’ll meet you in the party later”</p><p>Before Blaise could protest, Pansy pulled on his arm for them to keep on their way, and waved Draco away “Of course darling, we’ll be waiting for you. Have fun!”</p><p>“Cedric?” Blaise whispered at her when they were out of view.</p><p>“Obviously” Pansy huffed.</p><p>Blaise was particularly glad for Cedric.</p><p>He and Pansy knew how powerful of a wizard Draco was. But they were also childhood friends with him - therefore, seeing the boy sensing magical auras and performing complicated spellwork wandless... lost it’s impact throughout the years.</p><p>But after the Winter Break, when Draco confided in them that he was the only wizard ever known to survive a Killing Curse, and one from Lord Voldemort nonetheless... They once again started seeing Draco with new admiring eyes, noticing in awe all the things that made him extraordinary. Which, didn’t really fit their friendship dynamic and was uncomfortable for everyone involved.</p><p>Luckily, Draco was nonsensical as much as he was impressive, and their friendship soon stabilized. The trigger, this time, for Blaise and Pansy’s ‘admiration’ to tone down was Draco’s devotion to Cedric Diggory.</p><p>Draco always had a rather loud personality. It involved big displays, loud reactions, demands of attention and shameless demonstrations of love. It was entertaining, annoying and endearing all the same.</p><p>‘Love’ especially, was a necessary word to explain Draco. The boy grew up showered in it, and had no qualms in distributing, expressing and requesting it.</p><p>It took a while for Blaise to get used to it – well, he still wasn’t completely used to it. His mother wasn’t the most affectionate or available woman, and he never got too close to any of his temporary – and now deceased - ‘father figures’. So Draco’s unrestrained tenderness was off putting, at first, to say the least.</p><p>One way Draco’s endless affection would manifest through the years was in his unrestrained number of crushes. Cedric was the latest in a long list that included childhood friends, famous wizards, multiple Beauxbatons students, even one or another Ministry employee from random galas he attended. Even Blaise had been in the list – a dark period in their friendship history. Either way, Draco was no stranger to gushing, babbling, staring and daydreaming - watching him look less than dignified doing any of that was more than enough for Blaise and Pansy to get over whatever weird admiration had developed after Christmas.</p><p>For Blaise, at least.</p><p>Pansy was soon overcome with a different type of admiration when she realized who was Draco’s latest crush and that it was actually <em>mutual</em>.</p><p><em>‘Diggory?! How did you manage to snatch Cedric Diggory?!’ </em>she’d screeched. Draco had seemed pleased about that.</p><p>Blaise had another reason for being glad about Cedric - he was a great distraction for Draco.</p><p>After the revelations from Winter Break, the Malfoy Heir had been gloomy and severe, constantly worried and on edge. Pansy and Blaise did their best to smooth his edges, but the biggest results only appeared after Hufflepuff’s seeker jumped into scene.</p><p>Now, Draco was lighter and more himself, and if the cost of it was a little slaking in a few of his many obligations, then so be it. He was <em>thirteen</em>. It was well deserved.</p><p>Blaise mentioned this to Pansy, while on their way to the Slytherin Common Room to get changed for the Hufflepuff’s celebration, and she agreed with him, of course.</p><p>Later in the party, it was clear that the cheerfulness from the game accompanied the students. Blaise never saw Slytherins mingling with other houses quite so openly. And not even the grumpiest Gryffindors were able avoid such displays of ‘<em>inter-house unity</em>’ – Pansy heard a wide-eyed Hermione Granger parrot the term earlier, and took to repeating it in mock-wonder every time people from different houses would so much as look at each other.</p><p>After a while, Draco arrived, changed from his Hufflepuff colors into a pastel pink fluffy cardigan, that made him get into an argument with Pansy about good fashion sense - Blaise was only able to distract them from it with spiked punch.</p><p>The party was overall a success, only finishing once Professor Sprout recruited help from Peeves to disperse the students back to their Common Rooms. Before Blaise got into bed that night, he thought about how nice it would be if the students could be friendly like that all the time – but immediately shook his head and huffed in amusement, <em>I’ve spent too much time around Hufflepuffs. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>Bellatrix Lestrange wiped the blood that slithered through her brow after blasting the <em>Inferi</em> off of her with a scorching spell.</p><p>The small and rocky island was now surrounded by the skeletal grey figures that were climbing out of the lake’s tarnished water, the sheer amount of corpses only visible in the light of her fire spells, and otherwise concealed by the darkness of the giant cave they were in.</p><p>“<em>Incendio Tria</em>!” she casted at the bundle of rotting figures that were making their way to Abraxas Malfoy, who was still in the center of the island, curved over a basin full of a phosphorescent emerald-green potion and apparently oblivious to the army of <em>Inferi</em> he awakened when carelessly stepped in the water line as he got out of the boat.</p><p>Abraxas was mumbling a long incantation while pouring into the basin a thick purple potion he brought with him from the Manor.</p><p>Bella was half-heartedly sending the animated cadavers back into the water as she tried to listen for whatever he was reciting so intently. He didn’t acknowledge her or the undead army until one of them got close enough to grab onto his robes. He gave her a disapproving look as she propelled the creature away with a jet of fire.</p><p>“Honestly, I though the Black’s were suppose to be proficient in fire magic” he drawled, then started reciting once again.</p><p>Bella felt her eye twitch once before she gripped her wand tighter to cast:</p><p>“<em>Protego Diabolica</em>”</p><p>She felt the magic flow from her chest to her arm and then her wand, expelling a strong stream of back and blue flames that formed a protective ring of fire around the center of the island. She let it extend outwards, covering at least a mile of the surface of the lake, lighting the cavern in blue light and burning the <em>Inferi</em> that dared to come out of the water, the only sign of their previous existence being their dying screeches and putrid smell.</p><p>“I hope you didn’t just burn down the boat” Abraxas remarked from behind her.</p><p>Bellatrix almost hissed at him, before remembering that she probably did burn down the boat. Oh well. She was sure it was only there because The Dark Lord didn’t want to look undignified by riding a broom. She had one shrunk in her robes, just in case.</p><p>“What’s all this?”</p><p>She came closer to the basin - the liquid was now a sickly dark green, thick and opaque. Abraxas had stopped the incantation, and was silently doing wand movements to mix the potions further.</p><p>“Drink of Despair” he declared, in the voice a teacher would use to lecture his students “You can’t vanish it, transfigure it, charm it, dilute it, or change it’s physical state. It’s protected from any physical or magical means of retrieving what it guards. You can’t by-pass it.”</p><p>“Then, what are-“</p><p>“You’re suppose to drink it” Abraxas stopped mixing, and conjured a silver goblet. He slowly lowered it into the potion until it was full “The potion senses intent. If I throw it away, it will simply replenish itself”</p><p>He demonstrated it, pouring the thick liquid into the irregular floor, and as it vanished slowly from the ground, the basin became once again full.</p><p>“What happens when you drink it?” she was getting worried that they wouldn’t be able to get through to potion, but Malfoy’s concerning words were somewhat dimmed by his calm demeanor.</p><p>“It varies from person to person, really, there weren’t any formal studies to determine a standard reaction – you see, this isn’t a very <em>common </em>potion. But most people feel panic, fear, despair and deep rooted sadness. It also causes hallucinations, tremors, sensibility to light, pain in the extremities, sweating, shortness of breath, extreme thirst, sensation of chocking... It can also induce suicidal thoughts, if you’re sensitive” he started to fill up the goblet once again.</p><p>Then, offered it to <em>her</em>, expectantly.</p><p>She must have given him a very insulting look, for the way he admonished her like she was a petulant child.</p><p>“Honestly Bellatrix. I’ve annulled it’s effects with a counter potion. The most damage you’ll endure is a slight hand tremor and a full bladder” he sneered “You really have the audacity to question my proficiency in the subject I dedicated my life to, as if I’m not one of the most respectable Potions Masters in the whole world right now. How do you imagine–“</p><p>“I understand!” she took the cup from his hand forcefully “Stop yapping! I beg of you”.</p><p>Abraxas looked very smug as she began to drink.</p><p>The liquid was uncomfortable to swallow, but surprisingly tasteless.</p><p>“How do you know so much about this potion?” she asked, to distract herself.</p><p>“Didn’t I just tell you about my standing in Potions Studies?” he said, making her eye twitch again as she refilled the goblet.</p><p>She drank it in silence, trying to ignore the smell of burned rotten flesh from around them.</p><p>After a few minutes, Abraxas spoke again.</p><p>“I’m the one who brewed it, for him” he said, more softly.</p><p>The elder Malfoy was almost seventy, with thin hair, his once proud posture a little hunched over, his height now almost the same as hers, and his pale skin turned wrinkled and stained – however, with his wits intact and eyes as piercing as ever, people never stopped being intimidated by him.</p><p>But in that moment, he almost seemed fragile.</p><p>Bella didn’t respond – she already suspected it.</p><p>It took about half an hour for Bellatrix to finish the whole basin, and in the bottom of it, rested a large gold locket, with a serpentine ‘S’ made of emeralds in it’s center.</p><p>“Is this it?” It didn’t look like it guarded a severed piece of soul. But the others also didn’t.</p><p>Abraxas nodded.</p><p>“This is it”</p><p> </p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dear Tessa,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>McGonagall owled our house to inform us about how you’ve been assigned your fourth detention of the year, for skipping History of Magic, nonetheless. Honestly, I am impressed. At this rate, you’ll have the best track record in the family – except from your Mom, of course. I’m tempted to ask you to give some pointers about good behavior to your brother – McGonagall gave up in owling us about him after his tenth infraction – but that would be hypocritical of me, as I’m sure you know. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>In other news, the ‘Peter Pettigrew pursuit’ has been updated, although not in the direction we hoped. Multiple witnesses declared seeing a man that matched his description, over the last week, around the Albanian countryside. Now a Grecian branch of the Aurors is taking over the pursuit – your Dad is really not happy about that, but I think it’s for the best.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Dementors are going to be removed from Hogwarts property, since there is no actual evidence of that traitor still being in Scotland. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, at least now Harry is free to go to Hogsmead – even though I have my suspicions he was sneaking out of the Castle and going anyways. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And speaking about your brother, is everything alright with him? Is the Malfoy boy still giving him any trouble? He seems very... distant. He’s been writing much less, and more vaguely. James has been obsessed with work, so he didn’t notice anything. I guess I’m just worried, that’s all. Maybe you could talk to him? It would give me some peace of mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And to answer your other question, I’m planning to stay through the summer. I was even talking to your father about having a special family vacation... who knows. And after the school year starts again I have a big case waiting for me in Indonesia – I can’t reveal much about it, but it may or may not involve original runes and a deadly tombstone (!!!).</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anyways, I’ll keep you updated on James’s sanity and summer plans.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Enjoy your detention!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Padfoot</em>
</p><p>
  <em>P.s.: When you see Remus, tell him Tonks has been asking about him (again).</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Later that day, Theresa found Harry in one of the alcoves of the Clock Tower that looked over the Courtyard, where the older students were preparing to leave for Hogsmead.</p><p>The hallways were mostly empty, as they sometimes were in certain weekends, but Tessa only had to ask two random students before figuring out her brother’s location – that’s how much attention people paid to Harry, not that he believed the extend of his popularity.</p><p>Before she finished the last steps to the top of the Tower, she pulled out the invisibility cloak from her robe and covered herself – because even though she was a Gryffindor, a sneaking opportunity between siblings should never be wasted.</p><p>Harry was in the large windowsill of the main alcove, laying on his back, with his backpack supporting his head and knees folded up. His hair was the usual birdsnest, and he had his glasses on – of a thin rectangular dark silver frame. It was rare for him to wear them, since there was a potion that corrected eyesight temporarily. He always drank it growing up, and brought vials to school.</p><p>For a moment, Tessa was so distracted by the glasses that she didn’t notice the small gray cat laying beside him, until Harry started speaking to it.</p><p>He was talking very quietly, with a childish voice, so she got closer to understand the mumbled words better.</p><p>“... and lots of tasty treats. Yes yes yes. And then, you will change your allegiance. Remember: many treats. And here’s why I think you need them, it’s very simple: not enough fat. Don’t you agree? Croockshanks doubled in size since Hermione got him, and that’s a pretty active cat. You just lazy around all day, and if I poke you, like this, I can feel your ribs. That’s just wrong, don’t you think? Unless that’s a requirement, in that family, to be always fit, and perfectly put together, and pretty, all the time! That’s pretty unfair right? So, yeah. I offer you many treats, if you change sides. Then, you can spill all his secrets. All strategic information, of course, all his little quirks, I bet he has a lot, he seems the type, and all the-“</p><p>“Who is ‘he’?” Tessa pulled the cloak off herself.</p><p>She snickered as Harry jumped, startled – and almost cried from full belly laughter when he fell from the windowsill, after trying to turn around too fast, to see who was there behind him. His face went from worried to annoyed when he saw it was her – which just made everything funnier.</p><p>“Those are some impressive reflexes. Youngest seeker in ages? I can totally see that”</p><p>“Oh fuck off” he got back into the alcove, sitting cross-legged “Talk about my reflexes after you make the team” he picked up the unbothered cat and sat it in the space between his folded legs, petting it aggressively.</p><p>“It’s not like I ever tried to make the team” she rolled her eyes, and hopped up to sit beside him. “Who’s is this?” she reached out to pet the cat. It hissed a little at first, but then allowed it – even if a little reluctantly.</p><p>“I don’t know” Harry lied, sounding way to casual “she just follows me around”.</p><p>“What’s her name?”</p><p>“Genevieve” he smiled, like he found it funny.</p><p>She took the smile as an indication of ‘good-mood’ and decided to start the heavier topics.</p><p>“So” she tried to sound casual “when did you last write to Dad? Or Sirius?”</p><p>“Uhmm” he bit his lip nervously “I don’t know. I got a letter from them not long ago, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet” he shrugged.</p><p>“Oh? Okay” she though about what way would be better to go about this, but ended up choosing the easier route – honesty.</p><p>“Look, Harry” he raised his eyes, green meeting brown. “I got a letter from Sirius today, and he is worried about you. He said you seemed distant”</p><p>Harry sighed and looked away, to the empty courtyard outside the window.  </p><p>“I’m okay, really. Nothing to worry about”</p><p>Again, he was a really bad liar.</p><p>“Come on Harry, just tell me. Did something happen?” He didn’t respond, so she continued. “I know it’s nothing with your friends, you’re normal around them. And you’re also not butthurt about the Hufflepuff game anymore, it’s been a week and I heard you scheming with Fred and George about it. Is there something to do with Cho Chang? Because <em>that</em> was random”</p><p>He laughed a little at that – although it sounded a bit pained, if Tessa strained her ears.</p><p>“Nothing to do with her” he confirmed.</p><p>“If you say so...” she did find the whole ‘Harry and Cho being kinda of a thing’ weird, because it came out of <em>nowhere</em>, but at least her reaction was much better than Ginny’s. Maybe now her friend’s crush on Harry would fade away - Tessa hoped.</p><p>“Then, did something happen between you and Dad? Or you and Sirius?” He turned to the window again, so maybe she was getting warmer. “Was it during the Christmas Break?” she tried. He kept quiet, but his jaw locked tight.</p><p>She reached to touch his shoulder.</p><p>“I know things have been tense with them lately, specially Dad, because of this Pettigrew thing...” Tessa lowered her voice, making it more soothing. She used her other hand to grab one of his, the one that wasn’t petting the cat. Harry squeezed it back, although his gaze was still fixed outside the window.</p><p>“But, you know, they love us very much. Even this tension, it’s only here because they’re so worried about us getting hurt. You know that, don’t you? Dad cares about-“</p><p>She stopped when she saw tears escaping her brother’s closed eyes.</p><p>“Oh, Harry!”</p><p>She scooted closer and wrapped him tightly in a hug. She barely saw the cat jump away before he returned the embrace. For some reason, she was crying too.</p><p>“It was after the Christmas Dinner” he said quietly “I got down to the kitchen, and Dad and Sirius where there” he pulled away, and used the back of his hand to wipe his cheeks.</p><p>“Okay...” she worried her lip, nervous about what could have happened.</p><p>“And... It’s not- I’m” he huffed, seeming frustrated “It’s not that I’m angry, or really that upset or hurt about it-“</p><p>“You seem upset though” she couldn’t help but add. Because it was truth.</p><p>“Well, I guess I am, maybe. I don’t really know what to think. And I’ve spent months thinking about this so...” he trailed off.</p><p>“What happened?” she asked.</p><p>“Okay. Don’t freak out. But, they were kissing. I think they are together – like <em>together</em> together. Dad and Sirius, that is” he blurted out rapidly, like he was worried she would implode.</p><p>Tessa just blinked.</p><p>“Oh”</p><p>He bounced a little, impatiently. But as she didn’t say anything else, he spoke again.</p><p>“Did you know?” he sounded angry.</p><p>“No” Tessa responded quickly “I mean, maybe I suspected it, a little bit”</p><p>Harry made a move to get up and leave but she held his forearm.</p><p>“Wait! No, I didn’t <em>know. </em>They never told me, and I never saw anything like... you saw”</p><p>“But you suspected?”</p><p>“A little? Sometimes they are a little touch-y with each other, and like an old married couple, but I never, like, really thought about it. I just thought it was funny, maybe sweet”</p><p>“Okay” he sat himself back down. Looking now more troubled than angry.</p><p>They sat in silence for a while before Harry talked again.</p><p>“I guess I’m upset because, they kept it a secret, for Merlin knows how long. And, I don’t know, it’s just... I never thought about Dad finding someone. He always talks so much about Mom, about how they loved each other. And Sirius too, about how great she was. And, what? Now Dad’s gay? And for how long? And- and with Sirius? That was <em>such</em> good friends with her, that’s- that’s just-“</p><p>“Wow wow wow” she put a hand of his arm again, interrupting the line of thought. “Don’t go there. Of course Mom and Dad loved each other. Dad would <em>never</em> cheat on her. <em>Never</em>”</p><p>Harry now was looking at her intently, like it was his first time hearing english after listening to only russian for months. She took a breath before continuing.</p><p>“I don’t know how it happened, but you can be <em>sure </em>they never went behind Mom’s back. I just know it. And, they’re friends since Hogwarts, and Sirius put his whole life on hold to help Dad when Mom died. And, Dad was a wreck after she was gone, for <em>years</em>. I don’t think it’s been happening for very long. And Sirius, now he is traveling <em>all the time</em>- maybe is not even that big of a deal, and that’s why they didn’t tell us. Maybe it’s just starting”</p><p>“But Tessa, it didn’t <em>seem</em> new. And, how was Dad ever <em>truly</em> in love with Mom if he is- you know, if he and Sirius...”</p><p>“He <em>did</em> love her Harry. He is probably bi. Bi is when you like both, men and women” she had to add the last part, when he started to look a little lost “And <em>what</em> if it’s not something very new? If they are happy, isn’t it all that matters? It’s been twelve years since Mom died. I think Dad deserves to love again”</p><p>Harry’s pained face echoed the hurt Tessa felt after saying that last sentence. She knew it was true, but it was difficult to say. It was like she was betraying her Mom – even though she didn’t have any memories of her, Tessa still loved her.</p><p>Silence echoed between them again. They eventually hugged, letting their affection express what couldn’t be put into words.</p><p>“You are very mature. You know that?” he said into her dark hair.</p><p>“More mature than you” she laughed.</p><p>“I know” he agreed “But, you know, I’m glad you’re the mature one. I don’t want all that responsibility”</p><p>When they backed away from each other, Harry laughed. “Ron would be so grossed out”.</p><p>Theresa echoed his smile “Ginny too. She runs away even when <em>I </em>try to hug her”.</p><p>The atmosphere was light again. It was the power of Talking, Crying and Hugging. Sirius taught them about it when they were growing up.</p><p>Tessa was sad that Harry kept all of it to himself since Christmas, that’s why his thoughts had gone so dark and he got so upset. But her brother was like that sometimes, he took it from their Dad – keeping quiet about his feelings until eventually imploding, short temper, self sabotage... Sirius taught her about that too, after one time Harry and Dad screamed over the dinner table and refused to talk to each other for one week.</p><p>Sirius said that she was more like Lilly.</p><p>“Is Ron in Hogsmead?” Tessa tuned back into the conversation.</p><p>“Yeah. Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Fred, George, Lee... Basically everybody went” he fiddled with his sleeves, sounding upset.</p><p>“Oh, you should have opened Sirius’s last letter!”</p><p>“Why?” he asked, sitting up straight.</p><p>“You’re allowed to go to Hogsmead now!”</p><p>“What? But, Pettigrew-”</p><p>“He was spotted in Albania” Tessa explained “The Dementors are leaving the school, and you are free again. Surprise!”</p><p>“Really?” he asked, excited.</p><p>“Yep” she popped the ‘p’, sounding a little sour after remembering <em>she</em> would only be aloud in Hogsmead next year.</p><p>“Thanks Tessa!” he jumped down from the windowsill, quickly hugged her and ran down the steps of the Clock Tower excitedly, trying to catch up with his friends, she assumed. He seemed free as bird, like the emotional turmoil he had carried for months never had existed in the first place.</p><p>Theresa rolled her eyes. <em>Boys.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading! Let me know how you liked this chapter, or if you find any mistakes in need of correcting!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry this took so long, I was seriously stuck with this chapter. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I think it turned out alright. </p><p>Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Malfoy Manor had vast, exquisitely decorated grounds. Every Malfoy generation left a contribution to the land – a tradition that made their state incomparable and fascinating.</p><p>Narcissa gave Cygnus multiple tours of the grounds after her marriage, but he was still as enchanted by them as he’d been in his fist visit.</p><p>Closest to the Manor was a garden – reaching the length of the building and over eight quilometres of width. It was elegant, well adorned, strictly kept and addicting to visit. It harbored a variety of plants – some of which had magical properties, others simply easy on the eyes.</p><p>Still in the garden, but in it’s ending portion, was a hexagonal hedge maze. With high walls and a large fountain in the middle, the maze also housed an endangered species of Fairy, that could mess with it’s visitors heads, making them get lost in it for days if they were in a bad mood. Narcissa assured Cygnus that the Fairies mostly kept to themselves, but avoided the maze all the same.</p><p>Away from the garden, by the West Wing of the Manor, laid a Weeping Willow – one out of five created by an Ethiopian herbologist in the XIV century. The other four semi-sentient trees were scattered around the globe – the most noticeable one being in Hogwarts. Differently from it’s untamable sibling, however, this one was loyal to the Malfoy Family, being able to sense their allies and enemies, and respond accordingly.</p><p>Scattered through the property were also a few greenhouses, a single tower, a well kept crypt, an owlery, and other miscellaneous structures.</p><p>And furthest away from the Manor, in the limits of the property, loomed a large and dense forest, supposedly filled with a variety of animals and magical creatures – as a child Draco would always babble about how a Hebridean Black dragon lived in a cave deep within the forest, but Cygnus never received a confirmation about said dragon from any other members of the family.</p><p>The Malfoy Forest was also known for harboring rare potions ingredients, - which made one of the steady side incomes for the family, whenever Potioneers bid them high prices for the precious and high quality components – and a few ancient plants. Before the forest, there was also a large lake, of deep blue waters and rumored to be so filled with creatures that Cygnus never dared get too close to it.</p><p>The Malfoys really were a powerful family – they might not be the oldest, but the impeccable way they managed themselves throughout the years made sure they held one of highest spots in the worldwide Wizarding Community.</p><p>The House of Black had been eager to forge a marital connection into such nobility. Cygnus still remembered with clarity, how a few months after his wedding to Narcissa, Lucius made his contribution to the grounds, upholding the family tradition.</p><p>It had been a small gathering, only for immediate family. Cygnus’s wife, Druella, was still alive, as was Abraxas’s, Alicia. They chatted amicably as Lucius and Narcissa led them though the beautiful gardens, to a new section concealed by a faint mist. The newlyweds gazed into each others eyes and held hands before Lucius waved his wand to reveal what would be their mark for the new era of the Malfoy's, and everyone gasped in wonder when their surroundings revealed hundreds of diamond Narcissus. The sunlight reflected off the delicate petals and created rainbow prisms all around – such beauty was hard to overcome, but the joyous smile that shined in Narcissa’s face in that moment did just that.</p><p>It was not long after that all of them fell into the web of despair and false promises of one Dark Lord, and Narcissa’s smiles became controlled and empty.</p><p>After the end of the War, some resemblance of normalcy returned to their lives, mostly prompted by Draco’s upbringing and the consequent sense of unity that it brought to the family. Most days, it was easy to ignore any darkness that loomed around the edges of their day-to-day life. Today, though, was no such day.</p><p>Cignus was in his home in Grimmauld Place, roaming through some old files, when Rodolphus came through the floo, looking flustered, and hastily explaining that was figured out that the necklace Bellatrix retrieved with Abraxas was not the original one. </p><p>After what The Dark Lord’s old diary did to Draco all those years ago, they’ve all been extremely cautious with the handling of such tainted artifacts, therefore, had placed the heirloom in intricate contingency spells and had been doing a multitude of tests ever since – but to no avail, since it showed no indication of even being touched by black magic.</p><p>At the time, they all thought it meant that the <em>horcrux</em> was filled with the highest level of concealment charmswork, but today, after weeks of frustration, Rodolphus told him that Lucius gave in and just opened the necklace in a moment of anger, figuring out that it was a fake, and the real <em>horcrux</em> was long gone, no one knew where to.</p><p>There was a note inside it, seemingly from Regulus – Cygnus’s nephew and devoted Death Eater – but that hadn’t been the point of Rodolphus’s hurried floo visit. What he wanted was for Cygnus to check on Narcissa, who apparently didn’t cope very well with the new development.</p><p>The concerned look in Rodolphus’s eyes was enough to understand what type of reaction the news brought on Narcissa. It was a look that up until now had been reserved for Bella. Cygnus hurried though the floo.</p><p>Narcissa was in the Garden, in the section Lucius had dedicated to her all those years ago - but the Diamonds weren’t reflecting any prisms under the clouded sky.</p><p>Cygnus’s daughter was in such a state of disarray he hadn’t seen on her even when she was a child. She was on her knees in the dirt, leaving brown stains in her cream-colored robes. Her platinum hair falling precariously from an updo, while she used her bare hands to dig out roses frantically, eyes puffy, red rimmed and tired – a disturbing contrasting to her frantic expression.</p><p>Upon closer inspection, he could also see rips in her clothes and various blood stains, fresh from the sharp Diamond thorns she was handling carelessly.</p><p>Cygnus instructed Rodolphus to get her a strong calming drought, before going inside the Manor to find a wide eyed Lucius writhing his hands anxiously “Is she better?”</p><p>“Yes. Rodolphus is getting her a calming drought. Tell me what prompted this.” </p><p>Lucius exhaled and ran one of his hands through his long hair as he sat in a settee. He called an elf for a cup of tea before speaking.</p><p>“The <em>horcrux</em>. Or actually, the ordinary necklace we mistook as a <em>horcrux</em>” he spoke bitterly, before taking a somber tone “I think it was the frustration. We’ve wasted so much time and resources to find it, but it was fruitless. And also because of Regulus – he was never found, so the prospect of figuring out what happened to the actual medallion is slim. She is just so worried, we all are. With Pettigrew’s escape, and Trelawney’s Prophecy – it seems like something big is about to happen”</p><p>Lucius finished his tea and leaned forward, shoulders tense “I’ve never seen her like this. Even when ‘He’ was still around, she was always so contained and controlled, never losing composure like that. I would think it was a panic attack, but she was breaking things around her, and muttering nonsenses.</p><p>“And the look in her eyes Cygnus... It was just like Bellatrix, when she has those- those moments”</p><p>Lucius cleaned his throat, and corrected his posture, waiting for an answer. Cygnus could see the worry seep through his rehearsed mannerisms.</p><p>He hoped he would never need to have this conversation with the Malfoys, but obviously the stars hadn’t heard his pleas.</p><p>“How much do you know about the Rosier family history?”</p><p>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>Hogwarts students, overall, didn’t appreciate Herbology enough. Hermione attributed that to Professor Sprout’s kindness and easy going attitude – which allowed to considerable slacking off, not that Hermione would ever to that. She quite liked Herbology. But, of course, she liked all of her subjects. A side effect from growing up as a muggle, is that everything magical became <em>incredibly </em>interesting.</p><p>Being invested in her courses was also a great motivator to having good grades, not that lack of interest ever got in her way before – she had been top of all her classes for as long as she could remember. Hermione prided herself in being smart, it was what propelled her to puff her chest, raise her chin and speak up, even when she had no friends, and people whispered behind her back.</p><p>When she learned she was a witch, Hermione though everything would change. And most things did. But she still had no friends. Kids still said mean things behind her back. She still felt like a pariah - alone and isolated. And she couldn’t blame it on the feeling of being <em>different</em> anymore. Everyone here was <em>different</em>. She was with her <em>kind</em>, and still didn’t fit in.</p><p>Hermione overcompensated by being the best, showing that she <em>understood </em>magic. She was performing spells better than the kids that grew up with magic. But her colleagues weren’t impressed. They got worse, actually.</p><p>It was when Hermione was feeling her most hopeless that things started to turn around. Who knew that skipping the long anticipated Halloween Feast to cry alone in a bathroom about not having any friends and being attacked by troll – of all things - would result in... friends!</p><p>Ron Weasley, someone she considered, previously, as one of her biggest tormentors, turned out to be quite receptive to a ‘know-it-all’, if said ‘know-it-all’ made herself available to helping him with his homework.</p><p>And Harry Potter, who always seemed so intimidating and out of reach, always flanked by his big group of friends and indulged by teachers, was actually easy to talk to, sweet and welcoming – although she now suspected that much of his friendliness, that year, had been instigated by his father, Head Auror Potter.</p><p>Hermione met Harry’s father in the end of her First Year, when her and Ron were in the hospital wing, waiting for Harry to wake up after their attempt to protect the Philosopher’s Stone. James strutted in, banging the doors open. Concern so evident on his face that not even Madam Pomfrey protested the loud noise.</p><p>He reached Harry’s bedside, and touched his face carefully, brushing away his wild hair. After checking with Madam Pomfrey that the boy was indeed alright, he looked over his son’s classmates. James was very similar to Harry, even though some of Harry’s features were more harmonic, others softer – his mother’s influence, she suspected – but James’s eyes where from a deep brown, when Harry’s were green.</p><p>James asked if they would mind looking after Harry for a little while longer, since he needed to have a <em>word</em> with their headmaster.</p><p>When he returned, hair wilder and face flushed, he pulled a chair to sit by his son’s bedside and asked them about what had happened, looking more receptive to childish recollections than most adults.</p><p>Harry’s father already knew Ron, having met his family previously, but it was his first time talking to Hermione. He heard she was friends with his son ever since the Troll incident, and seemed eager to finally talk to her, getting a twinkle in his eyes every time she rambled in the tone of voice that always made Ron roll his eyes and mutter under his breath.</p><p>Days later, Harry was discharged from the hospital, and told Hermione – with dark colored cheeks, under heavy pestering - that she apparently reminded James of his late wife. It was sad and touching.</p><p>So, even if Harry had suffered a bit of paternal pressure to befriend her at first, they were good friends now. Hermione, Ron and Harry were closer then the boys were with any other students - even Seamus and Dean -, and it made her so <em>happy</em>, to finally belong.</p><p>Even if her friends weren’t the most <em>dedicated. </em>Which brought her right back to Herbology.</p><p>They were de-fanging Vampiric Vegetation, one of their last subjects before the exams. It was a complicated process, if one wanted to maintain the good quality of the fangs, not upset the plants too much, and keep all their fingers intact.</p><p>Hermione decided she would pair up with Draco Malfoy – even if it earned her angry looks from Harry and Ron -, it was her new strategy, in her pursue to keep her spot as the top of her year.</p><p>At first, she had been intrigued by the new Slytherin. He had a dubious reputation built around him, no questions there, but even though he had a proud stance, and overall arrogant attitude, he lacked any intent to <em>hurt</em>. His sneers and biting words were mostly self defense, she noticed.</p><p>So she allowed herself to get curious, and Draco turned out to be really smart. At first it was refreshing, someone that took theirs studies seriously – and<em> wasn’t</em> in Ravenclaw. She extended a friendly branch, and the boy had been mostly gracious about it.</p><p>But then Hermione realized he was <em>really, </em>really smart, and she needed to study more and more if she intended to keep up. Ron had patted her shoulder, divided between amusement and fear, and Harry got angry - ‘<em>there’s no way he is smarter than you’</em>. She really did try.</p><p>Now she thought that the best strategy was to ‘bring your enemies closer’, and plastered on the least threatening smile she was able to produce, before asking him to be her partner. It wasn’t a really good strategy – she had very few classes with the slytherins – but she figured he at lest could give her some good tips on the ones they had.</p><p>Draco’s eyes darted around the room in alarm before stiffly agreeing to do the assignment with her.</p><p>He was pleasant to work with, with precise charmswork and delicate hands, although refusing to outright touch any rogue substances that oozed during the de-fanging process. Draco also slowly relaxed his stance during the lesson – he started stiff and businesslike, but by the middle of the class turned to making jokes and funny faces. Hermione was aware that she would be annoyed about it if they weren’t ahead of the rest of the class in the assignment, but since they were, she allowed to laugh along with the boy, and to let her attention to slip enough to see how the rest of the students were doing.</p><p>Blaise Zabini was actually very good at Herbology, he would probably be ahead of her and Draco if he wasn’t being so overzealous – or if he had any assistance from his partner. But Pansy Parkinson left him in favor of rotating between the attention of the other boys of the class – she would lounge and make conversation and be a bother, with her skirt shortened inappropriately and make up that a thirteen year old shouldn’t be using. Hermione wondered if Zabini wasn’t angry about being left to do work by himself, but she caught his exchange with Malfoy, of fond exasperated looks, rolled eyes and small smiles. <em>Huh, guess not.</em></p><p>On the other side of the greenhouse, Ron and Harry were having some trouble completing the assignment. Their Vampiric Vegetation was agitated and biting at any attempt to get close. Ron’s calming spells were unstable and Harry’s gloves were all torn up already. He got a particularly nasty bite when Draco, still working with Hermione, threw his head back to laugh after his own joke. Harry snapped his head up at the sound and stopped paying attention to the sharp fangs near his fingers. Ron slapped him in the back of the head, deciding he would now do the extractions while Harry tried the charmswork.</p><p>Hermione sighted – boys really were helpless.</p><p>“Were your Herbology classes in Beauxbatons same as ours?” Hermione asked Draco, after they filled their first jar with the white sharp teeth.</p><p>“Our curriculum was broader” he started, scrunching up his nose as green goo oozed out after a fang removal she did “but not as... practical”</p><p>“So” she gave him a side glance “were you ahead of us already? In the curriculum?” she worried her bottom lip – why did she do that to herself? She predicted the rest of the afternoon in the library trying to catch up, if he sad yes.</p><p>“Well of course” he smirked when she deflated “But don’t beat yourself too much over it, Granger. As I said, we had more time due to the lack of practical lessons, and, you know” he shrugged “Beauxbatons starts earlier”.</p><p>“What?!” everyone in the greenhouse got silent after her shriek.</p><p>As it turns out, students start their classes in Beauxbatons when they are ten. The school offers lighter and more dynamic classes, beginning with a general overview of magical theory, wandlore, and other magical manifestations. The first years get to go home at weekends, or after classes sometimes, and family visits are accepted. Also, a few times during term, they have organized field trips, through <em>portkey</em>, to magically charged locations or places important to Wizarding Culture.</p><p>After class, Ron and Harry had to bodily drag her away from Malfoy – she needed to know more! But the Slytherin’s inicial preening had already turned into annoyance, and he had been much too glad to run away from her.</p><p>Hermione sighted on her way back to the castle.</p><p>She prided herself on being smart, and faced with a different reality from the one she grew up with, she <em>needed</em> to be smart. Only, sometimes she forgot how big and complex the Wizarding World actually was.  </p><p>She looked up to the darkening sky, imagining the full Moon that would bloom there in a few hours.</p><p>She prided herself on being smart, but sometimes, she wondered if she would ever, truly, feel smart.</p><p>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</p><p>Later that night, Harry was laying in the common room’s couch, watching the Maradeurs Map in front of the lit fireplace, while Hermione buried her head in copious amounts of books in a armchair by his side. It was late enough that they were the only ones there, lulled by the cackling of the fire, with the harsh wind brushing the tower and occasionally entering through the open window.</p><p>After a few moments, Ron tumbled through the Fat Lady portrait, his robes dusty and face set in a grimace.</p><p>“How was detention?” Harry smiled up at him “Was Filch in a cheery mood?”</p><p>“Merlin, I truly hate that man” Ron fell into the couch besides Harry “I’m never doing anything for Fred and George ever again”</p><p>“Well” Hermione closed the book she was currently skimming through and came to sit by Harry’s other side “I clearly remember telling you that taking the guilt for them would be-“</p><p>“I <em>know, </em>Hermione, but now they owe me a favor! Do you have any idea how <em>useful</em> that is going to be?” Ron threw his arms up, exasperation cutting through his tiredness.</p><p>“Have you figured out how you want them to pay it?” Harry asked, slightly ducking from one of Ron’s limbs.</p><p>“No” he grimaced “but it’s going to be good”</p><p>Hermione rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Hey, anything interesting going on tonight?” Ron inquired them, after a moment of amused silence.</p><p>“Uh, no?” Harry furrowed his brows “why?”</p><p>As an answer, Ron just pointed at the Maradeurs Map, sitting on the small table in front of them, where Harry sat it when his friend walked in. It was still displaying the Divination classroom. Harry cringed.</p><p>“Ah, that’s- no. Nothing going on” he tried to get to that Map before Ron, but the redhead was already reaching for it, a teasing smile complementing his wiggling eyebrows.</p><p>“Ohh, I see” he gave a Harry a conspiratorial look, who got confused really fast and turned to Hermione with a questioning side glance, but she had a rather condescending, if not amused, expression.</p><p>Ron splayed the Map on his lap, and used his elbow to poke Harry in the ribs playfully “So how is miss Chang doing tonight, hm?”</p><p>“Er” Harry cringed, again. He hadn’t really talked to Cho after their uncomfortable date last Hogsmeade weekend on Madam Puddifoot’s. To Harry it had been kind of disastrous, but the Ravenclaw must have been ok with it, if the lengthy looks she had been giving him all week were anything to go by.</p><p>On his other side, Hermione barked with laughter – very uncharacteristic of her.</p><p>“You might want to take a look at the Map first, Ron” she suggested, entertained.</p><p>Ron’s brows furrowed in confusion, before rising up again after analyzing the Map for a moment, no doubt noticing that it was <em>not</em> showing the Ravenclaw Tower.</p><p>“Mate. Really?” his expression was exasperated “I thought you stopped with this Malfoy thing”</p><p>“I did” Harry crossed his arms “I just still find it weird he can roam freely after curfew” he mumbled under his breath.</p><p>“Yeah, but” Ron scratched his head “this is creepy”</p><p>“Oh, and watching Cho wouldn’t be creepy?” Harry sulked.</p><p>“It would be more easily justifiable” Hermione raised her brows “Not that I would condone it” she added quickly after.</p><p>Harry got ready to use his old and overused excuse about Malfoy generally behaving way too suspiciously and needing to be kept on his toes, when Ron asked, with a mildly curious voice “Who is Amanda Nott?”</p><p>“Who?” Harry noticed that Ron was looking at the Maradeurs Map, still on his lap.</p><p>“She’s with Malfoy” he placed the Map back on the table “she met him outside Trelawney’s classroom."</p><p>“I think she’s Theodore’s older sister” Hermione said, leaning in to watch the Map with them. She looked up to find matching confused expressions “Honestly! He’s from our year. He’s in Slytherin” she rolled her eyes when her friends exchanged dark looks after that.</p><p>Harry finished unfolding the Map, letting it splayed completely open over the table, so they could see the entire castle all at once.</p><p>“There’s something going on alright” Harry murmured, pointing to the dungeons, where the little footprints of Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were exiting the Slytherin Common Room hurriedly.</p><p>Hermione also pointed to other students out of bed, names she vaguely recognized as older Slytherins, in the hallway of the DADA classroom.</p><p>“Do you think they’re with Amanda?” Ron asked.</p><p>“She seems to be leading Malfoy towards them” Hermione noticed how they were moving away from the dungeons.</p><p>“Okay. Let’s go” Harry started folding the map back to a manageable size. He knew Malfoy was up to something! Finally he could prove to his friends that he wasn’t ‘obsessed’, he had been right the entire time!</p><p>“What?” Hermione shrieked “We are going to get in trouble! Ron, you just got back from detention! You want to get another one?” she stomped her foot, aggravated.</p><p>“Yeah but, Hermione, it <em>does</em> look pretty suspicious”</p><p>Ron really was a great lad.</p><p>Hermione seemed about to protest some more, when she gave another look at the map that Harry was folding, before her eyes widened a fraction.</p><p>“What is it” Harry asked when she gulped. He was sure she had seen something they didn’t.</p><p>“Probably nothing” she set her shoulders “Do you want me to get the Cloack from Tessa? I know she has it right now”</p><p>“No time” he rushed them out through the portrait. Hermione would tell them what she knew sooner or later, so he left it alone for now.</p><p>Harry felt self conscious without his invisibility cloak, but the Map was enough to make sure they didn’t stumble upon Peeves, who was lurking in one of the staircases, or anyone else.</p><p>The three of them rushed through the halls, hearts beating fast and trying to keep silent. Harry wanted to intercept Malfoy right away, but he was already very close to the other older students. Eventually, they stumbled upon Zabini and Parkinson, both wide eyed and with casual robes thrown on top of their pajamas.</p><p>Parkinson squeaked loudly before realizing who was before her. Then, she pointed at them menacingly “What are the three of you doing here?”</p><p>“We could ask you the same thing” Ron narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“Now, I know this is a high request for Gryffindors, but let’s not make a scene” Blaise Zabini interjected, throwing a arm around Pansy’s shoulders and sounding calm and collected, and maybe a little annoyed “I’m sure all of us have urgent business to attend to. Far from us to get on your way. If you’ll excuse us”</p><p>With a flourish, Zabini made to turn away from them, pulling Pansy along, but Harry raised his wand before they could.</p><p>“I don’t think so, Zabini”</p><p>He didn’t want to start a fight, but he also wasn’t going to loose the opportunity to figure out Malfoy’s schemes.</p><p>The Slytherins scowled, pulling out their own wands. Soon enough, all of them were in duelling stances, sizing each other up and considering how to proceed. Hermione, who seemed the most discontented with the situation, dragged in a big breath of air, most certainly to make a rational and conciliatory speech about how they could all help each other here, when a bright mist appeared from around the corner, making it’s way towards them, everyone abandoning thoughts of a duel to focus on what was coming. It took Harry a second before he recognized it as a <em>Patronus</em>.</p><p>The small furry animal came to a stop before Zabini, and it was Malfoy’s tired voice that came out when it opened it’s mouth.</p><p>“Hey, Nott’s sister was waiting for me after my class, and she is making me go somewhere with her. She’s being really ominous, I’m not sure what to expect but I have a bad feeling about this. Could you get Pansy and maybe just be on the lookout? I’m quite sure this isn’t a sexy adventure she’s taking me on, and I’m too tired for this shit. Thanks.”</p><p>“A ferret?” Ron broke the silence after the message, with a breathy laugh.</p><p>A part of Harry wanted to laugh too, but the other was too preoccupied absorbing the information that, whatever was happening tonight, it wasn’t Malfoy’s plan.</p><p>Parkinson shot daggers Ron’s way “Well, here is where we part ways. This was fun. Hope there’s not a next time” she and Zabini walked away from them, following the <em>Patronus</em> hurriedly.</p><p>Harry exchanged a glance with Ron and Hermione, before tailing the Slytherins. Hermione, bless her, casted a silencing charm on their feet to avoid creating any noise.</p><p>They fled through the castle, approaching the DADA corridor, where they had seen the older students earlier. After a moment, the white ferret faded away in a mist. Blaise and Pansy came to a halt, looking around for another thing to guide them, but they only saw the Gryffindors following behind them that found no alcove or nook to hide in the open corridor.</p><p>Pansy once again broke into a murderous expression, but before her open mouth could utter a word, voices dragged though the Hall, and all of them were in the move again.</p><p>The source of the voices was around the corner of the corridor they were in, overlapping and arguing without concern about being heard. One of them was clearly Malfoy’s.</p><p>“I cannot believe the degree of sheer stupidity that went into orchestrating such a disgusting display of ignorance!” Harry was surprised to hear the nasty tone being use on someone other them himself.</p><p>“Spare me from your little speech Malfoy” a sharp voice answered, deeper and harsher, before adding, more muted and faster, as if talking to a third person “I <em>told you</em> we shouldn’t have included him. Consider yourself lucky that I already sent Flint on his way before you arrived”</p><p>“Miles. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea” responded a female, hesitant and quieter than the others. <em>Amanda Nott</em>, Harry remembered the name he read previously on the Map.</p><p>He hesitated as they approached the corner of the corridor. Parkinson and Blaise exchanged glances, communicating silently with worry and apprehension. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. Ron’s expression matched Harry’s - confusion, concern and suspicion, mixed with curiosity and even a little excitement, to be doing something risky, to feel adrenaline. Hermione conveyed something different, she was worried, scared. Harry remembered she knew something he didn’t. It was enough to put him on edge.</p><p>He and the others crept around the wall slowly and silently, none of them knew <em>disillusionment </em>charms yet, and hoped the heat of the arguing would be distraction enough for them to analise the situation without being noticed.</p><p>“... too late Amanda, we’re already too deep into this. If we stop now, Dumbledore is just going to protect him again. But you can be <em>sure</em> we’ll get punished, and say goodbye to your N.E.W.T.S.” and then “Get out of my way Malfoy. I’ll make sure you’ll get some credit for it if you behave”</p><p>“Oh please. As if a need any more prestige”</p><p>Malfoy and the other student, who Harry presumed to be Miles, had their wands up and pointed at each other, in a informal duelling stance. The girl, Amanda, was behind Miles, to his side, writhing her hands nervously. Malfoy’s back was turned, meaning Harry a clear view of the older students, who Harry vaguely recognized from seeing them around the castle before</p><p>Miles had dirty blond hair and slightly tanned skin, a harsh expression matching his tone of voice, wand held tightly in his hand and certainty in his face. Behind him, Amanda did bare a resemblance to one boy who Harry knew to be one of Malfoy’s friends, she had his same brown curly hair and light brown skin.</p><p>Harry was suddenly glad for the darkness in which he was basked, being in a portion of the corridor not baring any windows or torches, otherwise they would have been immediately noticed.</p><p>By Harry’s side, Hermione’s breath hitched and she grabbed his sleeve. Harry followed her eyes to something he hadn’t noticed immediately in the scene before them. Lightly covered by the overall darkness of the hall, between Miles’s and Malfoy’s feet, was a large bundle of clothing. Only it was too large, shaped weirdly. Hermione’s reaction made sense when Harry noticed that <em>it</em> was breathing steadily – <em>it</em> was a person. He found her hand and squeezed back.</p><p>Before them, Miles still had his wand raised.</p><p>“Very well Malfoy, as you wish” he got into a more traditional duelling stance “Everte Statum”</p><p>Malfoy deflected it wordlessly “I thought you were a seventh year, Miles” he sounded bored, maybe amused, but if you paid attention, he had his fist clenched around his wand, his posture stiff and nervous. He countered with <em>Expelliarmus</em>, and they started a proper duel.</p><p>Harry instinctively pulled out his wand and moved to the action, but Blaise held him back by his shoulder.  </p><p>“Don’t be an idiot. We need a plan”</p><p>“We’re wasting time” Harry whispered between clenched teeth.</p><p>“We really are” Hermione added, pale and wide eyed.</p><p>Whatever was happening, Harry didn’t like it. By the sound of things, Malfoy was trying to stop it, so, if that meant helping Malfoy – well, it really was a exceptional circumstance.</p><p>“You three dunderheads go for Amanda and me and Blaise can help Draco” Pansy inserted herself, sounding bossy and annoying even with rushed whispers.</p><p>“Oh, fuck off” Ron echoed Harry’s own thoughts at the audacity of the short girl, telling them what to do. The problem, though, was that Ron’s exasperation was louder than it should have been, and it echoed softly around the shadows. They five of them froze when a laugh broke the rhythm of the duel happening before them.</p><p>“I see your little possy came after you Malfoy. Now we really need to get a move on the plan”</p><p>Miles pointed his wand towards the shadows were they were hiding and casted:</p><p>“<em>Confractus Internus</em>”</p><p>“<em>Protego Horribilis</em>!” Malfoy’s shield was fist to appear before them, followed shortly by Harry’s and Pansy’s own <em>Protegos</em>.</p><p>Miles, however, changed his aim in the last moment, and instead of hitting their defenses, his spell barreled towards Malfoy, who was closer to him and unprotected. </p><p>Malfoy got hit right in the chest, his body blasted through the corridor until his back hit the layered shields behind him with a muted <em>thud</em>.</p><p>Pansy’s loud sob reverberated as Malfoy then hit the ground before them, unconscious.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>- 'Everte Statum' is a spell Draco used in Canon during Second Year, for the Duelling Club. It basically just throws a person backwards.</p><p>- 'Confractus Internus' is a made up spell, since I couldn't find a real one that would fit the scene the way I wanted. I just translated 'to break' and 'inside/internal' to Latin (it's suppose to break bones).</p><p>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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